A future full of potential for Georgia

Georgia Conechado is in her first year of Engineering Research and Development studies, which she says has been both fun and challenging.

"I really enjoyed a project from one of my first courses, Discovering Engineering, where we worked on building a rover, which is a small autonomous vehicle. When we were finally doing the test through the maze, and seeing something that we actually created and designed ourselves, it was a really great feeling."

Coming to ANU from Byron Bay is something Georgia says she couldn't have achieved without scholarship support. 

"I was on the lookout for scholarships from Year 11 because I knew that, if I didn't get a scholarship, it would be really hard for me to do full-time uni. My family's socio-economic status meant that they couldn't support me financially through university."

Not only has scholarship support helped Georgia come to ANU in the first place, it has meant she can fully experience campus life and get more than a degree from her time at university.

"I'm involved with the ANU Filipino Association. My dad's Filipino, but because I've lived with my mum all my life, I haven't had much of a connection with that side of my family's culture. I've also joined the Engineering Students Society and been to a few of the Japan Club events, because I'm learning Japanese."

As the recipient of the Female Excellence Scholarship for Engineering, Georgia is keen to point out the positive impact of supporting women to pursue STEM in higher education.

"In an ideal world, if everything was equal, we wouldn't need scholarships specifically for women. But it's not equal at the moment. If there's a problem, you can't just ignore it and expect it to get better."

This drive to create a better future is a strong motivator for Georgia, who says she is passionate about renewable energy and social justice issues. She believes it is vital to provide opportunities for promising students.

"Education is one of the fundamental building blocks for making a nation great. There's so much potential within everyone. If they don't get opportunities, you are losing potential to make great change in the future."

Georgia is a recipient of the Regional and Rural Equity Scholarship; Accommodation Equity Scholarship; George Alexander Foundation Scholarship; and Female Excellence Scholarship for Engineering.

ANU Giving Day, on Wednesday 18 September, supports students like Georgia. A gift to ANU Giving Day goes directly to scholarships and student support. Invest in the future of students and give more than a degree.