Institution: University of Adelaide
Course: Master of Business Administration
Having never applied for a grant before I wasn’t sure what to expect.
The initial application process was seamless and I was rather humbled by some of the lovely things people said about me when I sheepishly asked for referees.
The interview however, was something different. As a part time Army Officer, I was on exercise in QLD when my allotted time for the interview took place. It’s not as straight forward as one might expect to get a satellite phone out in the middle of the bush during an international exercise, but with the support of Geoff I managed to make the call at the allotted time.
Save for an Army helicopter flying over me half way through the call which interrupted my comms, it went well and I thank all for their support to make that happen.
With it almost 20 years since serious university studies I wanted to undertake a MBA at my Alma Mater The University of Adelaide.
Being a recipient of the Industry Leaders Fund created momentum to rapidly propel my further studies, it brought forward career and leadership opportunities and created a ready-made network, not only via the MBA but also the ILF Scholars Network.
It was great to be back in a classroom, learning, interacting with individuals from different industries. Whilst I am only a third of the way through at the end of 2021, the value of the grant has had a tremendous impact on my professional life.
Since being a recipient in 2019, I have been promoted twice, been elected to Boards and gained a valuable network (and attended many great events) all thanks to the ILF.
I have found that the real value to this grant was not the financial contribution but it was the people you meet along the way because of it, that truly make being a recipient a valuable and enduring experience.
