Erin McGuigan’s volunteerism, community-minded nature and her pursuit of a career to make the world a better place has landed her the coveted Dan Brumley Trust & Abbeyfield Foundation Combined Scholarship.
The Mortlake P12 College graduate was presented with a cheque for $1000 this week by Abbeyfield Mortlake chairman Mick Murphy OAM and CEO Deb Rantall.
Erin is no stranger to Abbeyfield Mortlake. She has volunteered many times there and also visited on a weekly basis over several years as part of her schooling.
One of the projects she is most proud of was being involved with the establishment of the Abbeyfield Mortlake vegetable garden, which has become an important avenue for residents to keep active and enjoy time outdoors.
“I used to love coming up here and listening to the residents and learning about their lives. We used to play games and also help them develop their skills with technology and things like that,” she said.
Erin is well known for her involvement as an RSL Affiliate and Member and plays an important role in the annual Anzac Day and Remembrance Day services.
The $1000 Dan Brumley Trust & Abbeyfield Foundation Combined Scholarship is awarded annually to a local VCE graduate to assist with their tertiary studies.
Erin has this week began her studies at Deakin University in Geelong where she is enrolled in a Bachelor of Criminology/Forensic Science.
While she hasn’t quite decided on her exact career path, she said work experience in toxicology had led her towards the sciences and she enjoyed being in a research environment.
She said the scholarship was a huge honour and thanked the Brumley family and Abbeyfield Foundation for the program.
Mr Murphy said the scholarship recognised Erin’s academic merit, her community work and proficiencies relevant to her career direction.
“We had a first-class field of applicants and this year an independent panel made up of community members Kelvin Goodall and Jacinta Wareham recommended Erin,” he said.
“Her broad engagement in the community and extra-curricular activities stood out. Abbeyfield Mortlake is proud to be partners in this scholarship with the Brumley family.
“As an organisation, we rely heavily on the generosity of our community and this scholarship is one way we can give back to the community by helping a young person like Erin progress their skills in their chosen field.”
Ms Rantall thanked the Abbeyfield Foundation and the Perpetual Trustee Company Limited on behalf of the Dan Brumley Trust for their ongoing scholarship program.
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