August 24, 2021
A Nanango woman who recently re-entered the workforce after an eight-year break has had her career ambitions kickstarted thanks to a $1000 bursary from the South Burnett Regional Council.
Melina Cergnulli, from East Nanango, is a single mum with three boys.
When her youngest started Prep this year, Melina found she had time on her hands and started looking for employment.
A friend, who was working as a laboratory technician at a Nanango school, pointed her in the direction of a vacancy for a similar role at Kingaroy State High School.
Melina applied and got the part-time job, and then enrolled in a Certificate IV in Laboratory Techniques through ABC Training.
The training is delivered online with her practical work assessed on-the-job at school.
There are 15 modules in the Certificate IV course and she is already whizzing through the study.
She then intends to complete another five modules to earn her Diploma.
Melina told southburnett.com.au she was sent the link to the National Council of Women of Queensland’s (NCWQ) website after the association advertised its latest round of bursaries earlier this year.
“I looked through the eligibility criteria and applied, even though I didn’t think I’d get it,” she said.
So it was a pleasant surprise when she learned she had won the $1000 South Burnett Mayor’s Bursary.
This bursary was open only to female residents of the South Burnett Regional Council area.
It was sponsored by the South Burnett Regional Council and offered through the NCWQ to encourage rural women to pursue further study.
An NCWQ spokesperson said Melina also regularly contributed to the community by helping at the local rugby league club with maintenance of the grounds, serving in the canteen and on the admission gate.
She also helps at St Patrick’s Primary School in Nanango with the reading groups.
Melina will use the bursary to further her studies and pursue her Diploma.
Unfortunately, recent COVID restrictions in Brisbane meant the usual NCWQ bursary presentation night had to be postponed, although the association aims to reschedule the event on October 6.
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The winner of the $1000 David Littleproud Bursary was Kellara Harney, from Blackall, who is studying a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) at Central Queensland University.
Mr Littleproud said Kellara was passionate about holistic health care and understood firsthand the challenges people in rural and regional communities faced in accessing health care.
This bursary was open only to female residents of the Maranoa Federal electorate.
- Related article: Applications Open For Bursaries
