Following more than 200 applications for the Tim Fischer Fellowship, which is named after CEF’s founding patron, and a rigorous selection process, Ms Hudson was chosen for a program she devised, which will now become a reality, called True North.
It is a practical, co-designed program where students will learn to orientate their own career compass based on their skills and ambitions.
Annabelle says she is honoured to be awarded the Fellowship and deeply committed to her program which aligns with Tim Fischer’s passion for better education outcomes for people living outside of the big cities.
“The challenge isn’t a lack of programs, but that too few are tailored to the rural context and delivered consistently,” Annabelle says.
“Many capable students underestimate their potential and can’t yet see clear paths into futures which excite them,” she says.
“I saw this with my best friend, who left school in Year 10 and later returned to study as a mature-age student. What changed for her was self-belief.
“True North builds that self-belief, helps students identify their strengths, values, interests and capabilities, and turns this insight into simple next steps, so choices come from self-belief, not self-doubt.”
Judy Brewer AO, the wife of the late Tim Fischer AC, says her husband would be thrilled the first Fellow was someone who had grown up in rural Australia, benefitted from a great tertiary education in the city but is now using that start in her career to invest in young students from the bush.
“Tim always had big dreams and ambitions, and he was living proof that with a little head start, a help up and determination you can achieve anything, no matter where you’re from,” Judy says.
“Tim never lost sight that many regional communities face challenges that bigger cities don’t, so this Fellowship is a way to find some new solutions to those barriers,” she says.
“Annabelle’s project has the potential to provide career guidance at a critical time for rural and regional young people, creating change through reusable tools and leaving a legacy that will continue after the Fellowship ends.”
As the inaugural recipient of the Fellowship, Annabelle Hudson receives $50,000 in financial support to implement her initiative, while also gaining access to the Country Education Foundation’s network of professionals, academics and community leaders for mentoring and advice.
