Charles Sturt University Bathurst student Monique Morgan receives scholarship

"I have an interest in working rurally," she says.

The second-year nursing student is one of a number of recipients of the Royal Agricultural Society (RAS) Foundation's 2023 Rural Scholarship program, which aims to help those who have a desire to contribute to regional NSW.

Ms Morgan fits the bill.

"I got the scholarship for studying nursing and my interest is to go back to a rural area and give back to the community," she said.

"I'm from a rural town - Trundle, NSW - and I grew up with anxiety, so it was quite a trouble. In a small town, there's not many services and things like that.

"I really want to help in that sort of aspect to give back and help those who might be struggling in rural areas."

The $6000 scholarship aims to help Ms Morgan and fellow recipients with their full-time studies.

"I found out about it [the scholarship] from my friend who I go to uni with," Ms Morgan said.

"She actually got it the year before me and she said it would be perfect for you, you should apply.

"So I did and I was lucky enough that I got it."

Ms Morgan has had three placements during her course so far, the first of which was in a nursing home at Dubbo and the second back in her home town at the Trundle Multi-Purpose Service.

"And then my most recent one was at Condo and it was an amazing experience," she said.

"I really enjoyed it. I was there for three weeks and I got so much out of it.

"I was in the general ward [at the hospital] and the emergency department, so I went between the two and I helped with discharging and personal care and medications and all those sorts of things.

"And there were a few emergencies coming in and it was good to see how, even though it is a rural town, there is still so much that goes on."

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Ms Morgan was initially interested in teaching after finishing school and started studying at Wollongong University, but "didn't really enjoy it".

"It was so big and there was so much going on and I was away from home. I'm used to tight communities," she said.

She subsequently reassessed.

"I thought, what am I really interested in?

"Teaching was sort of just a I-have-to-do-something-now.

"But then I thought about it and I thought I love helping people.

"I was school captain for three years and I really enjoyed just talking to people, helping people, and I was like, I would love to be a nurse, and I have not looked back since. It's been amazing."

The most recent rural scholarships were announced by the RAS Foundation and Quayclean, which has a long-term partnership with the Sydney Showgrounds.

RAS Foundation manager Cecilia Logan said further study requires most regional students "to relocate and move away from their families".

"These scholarships are designed to assist with accommodation, textbooks or income and allow them to focus on their studies," she said.

Quayclean chief executive Mark Piwkowski congratulated Ms Morgan on her scholarship.

"Through our work at the annual Sydney Royal Easter Show, we have witnessed firsthand the wonderful contribution regional men and women make to NSW and Australia," he said.

Applications for the 2024 RASF Rural Scholarship are now open and will close on September 17, 2023. For further information, please visit www.rasf.org.au.

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