THE Business and Professional Women’s Association (BPW) Coffs Coast is excited to announce that nominations for the 2023 BPW Scholarship and Education Encouragement Awards are now open.

Females who are studying at a tertiary level for a Diploma, Degree or higher qualification who can demonstrate how they have overcome disadvantage, adversity or challenges to achieve their educational goals are eligible to apply.

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Last year’s winner Bianca Harfield, of Brierfield, won the Maude Spielvogel Scholarship and is studying for an Honours in Psychology.

“To be valued by other women is so important, as in ‘You can do it, I support you’,” Bianca told News Of The Area.

Bianca worked with children for years in early childhood services specialising in emotional health – both in remote Indigenous communities and in London.

“I have overcome a lot, constantly plod along and don’t realise how much adversity I have faced,” she said.

“My students are struggling, but we are all turning up.”

Bianca certainly has lived-experience of adversity.

Her father passed away in 2015, then nine months later, her partner’s father went missing at the beach and was found to have had a fatal heart attack.

Bianca’s partner and his mother moved in with her.

She had a baby, then her sister and four children also needed to live with them.

Through those challenges, Bianca realised that people cope with grief differently, especially children.

“Some are happy to talk and others don’t,” Bianca said

“I notice even my five siblings have different roles and handle things in their own way, yet we all try to get together on our father’s anniversary.”

The successful applicants will be due to complete their course by December 2024 at an educational campus on the Coffs Coast and reside in the local government areas of Coffs Harbour, Bellingen, Nambucca or Grafton.

For details or to request an application form, please email Lu Nickell via lu.nickell@det.edu.au

Applications close on Sunday 23 July 2023.

By Mary KEILY