Twenty one year old indigenous trainee Alisha Spurgeon was named Student of the Year at the 2008 Central TAFE Awards last night.
Alisha blitzed the field to also take out the Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year and Trainee/Apprentice of the Year Awards at the annual event, which recognises and promotes student excellence.
Alisha joined Diploma of Enrolled Nursing Student, Helen Paik who won the High Achiever Award and Vocational Student of the Year Award, and Diploma of Events Management Student, Florence Dupuche, who was named International Student of the Year.
Alisha impressed judges with her natural leadership ability and strong commitment to learning.
Following a stellar academic performance in high school, Alisha completed a Certificate III in Tourism as a trainee with the WA Visitor Centre in just seven months.
“Through my traineeship at the WA Visitor Centre I was given a fantastic opportunity to learn about my own indigenous culture and travel around the State to witness first hand the products that we are promoting,” Alisha said.
“The traineeship journey and everything I have been through has truly shaped me as a person,” she said.
“It has made me realise that I do have the capacity to be an effective ambassador for any industry that I work in, for my multicultural community and Australia.”
“I have confidence that I will achieve in everything I apply myself to. Even when the outlook is grim I can approach a task positively and give it my best shot. I am proud of where I come from, who I am and what I will achieve in the future.”
Speaking at the presentation ceremony Central TAFE Managing Director Neil Fernandes congratulated all of the students saying that they exemplify commitment, perseverance and dedication to their study and careers.
“The nominees in this year’s awards raised the bar incredibly high and the winners’ ability to shine among such a strong field is testament to their exceptional achievements,” he said.
“At Central TAFE, we embrace excellence as a benchmark. The winners of the 2008 Central TAFE Awards are continuing this tradition, which has seen Central TAFE graduates become sought after in industry.”
More than 200 students, graduates and industry stakeholders attended the awards event, which was held at the Government House Ballroom.