When Georgia’s father passed away suddenly in 2024, she lost her best friend and her whole world. As the oldest child of a single parent, she immediately had to make some tough decisions, as a nurse sat with her to talk about options for organ donation.
‘My whole world shattered the day my Dad died,’ Georgia says. ‘But when I think of that day, I think of the nurse, the way she held my brother and told us that she wasn’t going to go anywhere and that Dad would get the best treatment from her.
‘That was the moment I decided I was going to become a nurse.’
A community supporting its own
Now in her first year of a Bachelor of Nursing at Deakin’s Warrnambool Campus, Georgia is the 2026 recipient of the Gall Family Foundation Achieving Potential Scholarships, awarded to undergraduate students at Deakin’s Warrnambool Campus.
In 2016, Deakin committed to the sustainability and growth of the Warrnambool Campus, underpinned by a new scholarship program to support the next generation of students drawn from the surrounding region. The Gall Family Foundation Achieving Potential Scholarship is an example of how the Warrnambool community has generously supported the program and contributed to making higher education more accessible for local students.
Georgia, who has been working since she was 15 and financially independent since the age of 16, says the scholarship will make a significant difference to her life as a student and her belief in her career choice.
‘It not only eases the financial pressures, allowing me to focus more fully on my studies and clinical placements, but also serves as a strong vote of confidence in my potential,’ she explains.
‘This support motivates me to work even harder, strive for academic excellence, and make the most of every opportunity offered throughout my course.
‘I hope to grow not only as a student, but as a future healthcare professional who advocates for patients, upholds ethical standards and contributes positively to the healthcare environment.’
Lighting the way for others
The memory of the kindness and compassion of the nurse at the hospital that day in 2024 still inspires Georgia, who hopes one day to be the ‘person that lights up others’ days by just being there to help’.
‘I want to be the type of nurse that can put people at ease in the hardest moments of their lives,’ she says. ‘I want to be the type of nurse to not just truly love her patients but the village of people that come along with loving them too.’
Are you interested in supporting a student to overcome barriers that might stop them starting – or finishing – a degree at Deakin? Find out how you can help by contributing to our Deakin Achieving Potential Scholarship, or get in touch at giving@deakin.edu.au.