FOUR young leaders from rural SA have won a 'Power Trip' to Canberra to meet with influential politicians, CEOs and mentors, after being announced winners of Country to Canberra's prestigious Leadership Competition today.
Country to Canberra is a nation-wide not-for-profit empowering young rural women to reach their leadership potential.
The award-winning organisation builds leadership skills, encourages self-belief, and connects young rural women with role models and mentors to overcome gender and geographical barriers to success.
Kayanne Lewis of Ernabella (Pukatja), Deepkiran Kaur of Glossop, Charlee Watt of Port Lincoln, and Kellis Dare Lawrie of Ernabella (Pukatja) will represent SA on the Canberra trip, recognised for their outstanding ideas about female empowerment and leadership.
This year, there are 16 winners in total.
"It was an incredibly tough selection process - we received a huge number of exceptional entries this year," Country to Canberra CEO Han Worsley said.
"Kayanne, Deepkiran, Charlee and Kellis will get to represent their communities and state, in this once-in-a-lifetime leadership opportunity."
While this year's Power Trip was postponed until 2021 due to COVID-19, the winners will get to meet one another in a virtual setting during a two-day online program, called C2C On Screen.
The inaugural online experience will play host to a series of events, including a mentorship session and leadership workshops.
"This year has been challenging for everyone, especially young students in rural communities," CEO Worsley said.
"While we had to make the difficult decision to postpone this year's Power Trip for the first time in its seven-year history, we are thrilled to be able to offer a virtual opportunity to connect with one another and engage with some high-profile, influential speakers."
Deepkiran Kaur of Glossop is excited for the opportunity to be a part of the highly competitive program.
"While the Power Trip portion of this experience might not be happening this year, I'm really excited about meeting the other winners and participating in the virtual workshops," Miss Kaur said.
While Kayanne Lewis of Ernabella (Pukatkja) is keen to showcase her remote community.
"I'm excited to share my knowledge from Ernabella and learn together with other girls about leadership in Australia," she said.
The other 12 winners selected from the 2020 Leadership Competition are: Olivia Titley of Charters Towers, Qld; Chelsea Gorry of Roma, Qld; Coralie Sandor of Busselton, WA; Sarah Lane of Karratha, WA; Alexandra Hatty of Tocumwal, NSW; Suzanne Daugherty of Orange, NSW; Isabella Ennever of Casino, NSW; and Kalindi Izzard of Coffs Harbour, NSW; Kealy Gibson of Nhulunbuy, NT; Charlotte White of Yarrawonga, Vic; Kiri Arts of Stawell, Vic; and Bailey Falls of Ulverstone, Tas.
Country to Canberra is also delighted to have unveiled its Top 40 entries online today, with the non-profit passionate about getting as many young women involved in the organisation as possible.
"Our aim is to empower all rural girls to reach their leadership potential, which is why the Leadership Competition/Power Trip is just one of the programs we run. We need to continue to encourage young women to strive for success in all areas of society," CEO Worsley said.
- Details: countrytocanberra.com.au
