Trust boosts careers

By Emma Sun
FIVE people received the P.B. Ronald Trust Award last Tuesday at the annual dinner hosted by the Pakenham Rotary Club.
The award assists people furthering their education in agriculture, horticulture and local government.
Guest speaker Mike Hermann spoke about his involvement in the dairy industry in New Zealand and Australia and two of last year’s three awardees, Nick Fitt and Zeb Quigley, gave speeches about how the award had helped them.
Trust chairman Tim Ahern said this year’s line-up of applicants has been the best in a long time.
The awardees, Ashnee Griek, Emma Egan, Brittany Williams, Sharni Blackney and Georgia Davis-Jackson, each received a certificate and financial assistance for their studies.
Officer’s Georgia Davis-Jackson is studying Masters of Law at Monash University and said the money will go toward her $120,000 course fees.
She is working at the Cardinia Shire as the health promotion co-ordinator and intends to continue working in local government.
Ashnee Griek of Catani is studying for a double degree at La Trobe University in Agriculture Science and Business.
She is the recipient of a Silver Duke of Edinburgh award and also volunteered at Kooweerup Care for the Aged.
Yannathan’s Sharni Blackney is studying certificate three in agriculture and is looking to obtain an artificial insemination technician’s certificate, which will help with agriculture certificate four.
Ms Blackney hopes to go into the dairy industry.
Brittney Williams of Catani is studying environmental horticulture at Melbourne University.
She is a graduate of Kooweerup Secondary College and volunteered at the school canteen for two years.
Emma Egan from Cora Lynn is studying a certificate two and three in agriculture at McMillan Campus, Warragul.
She hopes to become an agronomist and expressed her intentions to work locally.
“This award will help me gain new skills to help in the future,” Ms Egan said.
The P.B. Ronald Memorial Trust was established in 1991 to honour the late Peter Ronald, who was heavily involved in the community and Victoria. Pakenham Rotary, Shire of Cardinia, Pakenham Racing Cluband the Pakenham and District Agricultural and Horticultural Society have all provided ongoing assistance.