BETH Innes, Shannon Whyte and Renee Goreham-Selby each received a $1000 scholarship from Port Stephens Council to mark International Women’s Day.

The winners were announced at a formal morning tea at Murrook Cultural Centre, where East Ward Councillor Leah Anderson presented them with their scholarships.

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“International Women’s Day is an opportunity to reflect on the social, cultural, economic and political achievements of women, promoting positive visibility of women and gender equality in our society,” Cr Anderson said.

“I’d like to congratulate the 2022 scholarship winners, as well as each of the applicants; you’re all so deserving and the high calibre of applications meant it wasn’t an easy decision.”

The International Women’s Day morning tea began with a livestream presentation by guest speaker and Walkley Award winning columnist, author, novelist, broadcaster, documentary maker, feminist and social commentator, Jane Caro.

Mayor Ryan Palmer said Council is proud to recognise the 2022 scholarship winners as part of today’s celebrations.

“Women make a valuable contribution to our community across a range of different fields, including the arts, culture, environment, business, community, health and sport,” he said.

“It’s been wonderful to see the difference our International Women’s Day Scholarship recipients have made since the program was first introduced five years ago.

“We’re proud to continue to offer this support and look forward to seeing how this year’s winners use their scholarships to achieve their goals.”

The 2022 International Women’s Day Scholarship recipients are:

Beth Innes | Fern Bay

Beth is the Director of Sports 4 All, a not-for-profit organisation that works to increase the participation of women and girls in sport.

Beth’s aim is to introduce Sports 4 All to more sporting clubs within Port Stephens, assisting them to create an inclusive and family-friendly culture that supports female recruitment and participation.

She also aspires to work with local community organisations to encourage more vulnerable women to get involved in sport.

Shannon Whyte | Lemon Tree Passage

As an Aboriginal woman, Shannon hopes to inspire the next generation of young people, particularly young Aboriginal women.

Shannon’s aim is to build on her career in project management by undertaking further leadership training and mentoring.

She plans to use her leadership skills to assist local community organisations that work with women, Aboriginal people, or vulnerable residents.

Renee Goreham-Selby | Medowie

Renee is a physics lecturer and researcher in nanotechnology for biomedical applications at the University of Newcastle.

She is also passionate about promoting science and maths among school-aged children, creating educational materials and holding online science sessions during the COVID lockdown.

Renee’s aim is to develop a suite of permanent science resources for schools and families.

For more information on Council’s International Women’s Day Scholarships, including past winners, visit portstephens.nsw.gov.au/international-womens-day-scholarship.