Meet the seven inspiring women who won 2023 International Women's Day Illawarra Committee scholarships

Seven women have each received International Women's Day Illawarra Committee scholarships worth $2000.

The scholarships have been running for more than a decade and provide an opportunity for women to expand their knowledge, skill or experience in a field where they have shown great potential.

Each of the scholarships are named in memory of inspirational Illawarra women. Six are funded by the committee while the seventh is provided by the family of Gracie Wallis.

Read more: Winners of the International Women's Day Illawarra Scholarships 2022

This year's scholarship winners includes a nurse who has a special interest in dementia, a women's soccer player who wants to start an annual Pink Day for breast cancer, a music therapist who is examining the link between music and mental health, a former police officer who is working with vulnerable domestic violence victims, a cancer researcher, an Aboriginal woman who promotes the Dharawal language and Aboriginal programs, and a woman with multiple disabilities who is studying to become a social worker.

Below are their inspirational stories.

Jo-Anne Gray was a 37-year-old single mother when she started a Bachelor of Nursing at University of Wollongong.

After graduating with Distinction, she worked as a nurse in a number of fields before her father received a life-changing diagnosis.

"I have a broad background in nursing, however when my father was living with dementia, I took an interest in aged care and have worked in the aged care sector for the last five and a half years," she said.

After her father died in 2017, and her mother and sister were also diagnosed with dementia (her sister has younger onset dementia) and placed in aged care, she became a Dementia Australia advocate and gives regular talks on the topic.

"I have helped to organise the Illawarra Dementia forum prior to COVID, which is a community event to raise awareness," she said.

Gray, who completed a Master of Nursing at UOW with Distinction, has taught undergraduate nursing students since 2011 and loves mentoring mature-age female students.

She is about to commence an integrated PhD with a focus on undergraduate nursing students' career intentions to work in aged care.

"With three immediate family members diagnosed with dementia I have thought very hard how I can make a difference, and I feel that being involved in research to try and improve the workforce is a significant contribution," she said.

Danika Matos, 23, started her football career at Port Kembla FC in the under-9s and under-11s squads before joining Illawarra Stingrays FC, which is part of the Women's National Premier League competition.

In 2019, Matos, of Lake Illawarra, joined A League Women competition club Western Sydney Wanderers, where she always takes the time to stop for photos and autographs, offering words of inspiration for young female players, and attending school holiday programs and juniors training.

After her mother Fay was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer in 2021, she asked the Illawarra Stingrays to support her plans for an annual breast cancer awareness fundraiser.

She wants the "Pink Day" to be similar to cricket's Jane McGrath Day.

"There is currently nothing like this in female football," she said. "We have the permission and support of our governing body FNSW to proceed. We have 12 clubs all ready to commit their support to the annual event."

She plans to use the $2000 scholarship to set up a foundation and launch the event.

Ann Lehmann-Kuit has been using music to enrich the lives of children and adults for the past 30 years through her work as a music therapist as well as performance, teaching and organising community events.

In 2013, Lehmann-Kuit started Jam n Bread through the Our Community Project, a free monthly community-building initiative that brings people together to explore their culturally rich musical traditions.

The artistic director of KidsFest Shellharbour also organised the 2020 "New Gen" program in partnership with Wollongong Council to mentor eight aspiring young musicians and help them record original songs with professional musicians.

She coordinates the Folk School and the Youth Traditions Showcase, which gives 20 young musicians the chance to perform in front of live audiences at the annual Illawarra Folk Festival.

Lehmann-Kuit is neurodivergent and has a passion for developing accessible, intergenerational, intercultural creative networks in the community. She holds a Master of Creative Music Therapy (with Distinction) and recently completed a research Masters exploring song creation, flow and mental health.

Rebecca Moulds is a former police officer who is devoting her life to helping vulnerable women who have a disability to access support following domestic violence.

In 2019, she began working for Women Illawarra Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service (WIDVCAS) as a disability focus worker with vulnerable women.

"I provide them with appropriate information to make informed decisions about their life and safety," she said. "I work with women from the age of 16 to empower them and educate them, and show them what a healthy relationship looks like."

Moulds, 42, of Wollongong, said women with intellectual disabilities were much more likely to become victims of domestic violence, which was why education was so important.

She recently started a meditation teachers' course and hopes to study sound healing and yoga so she can offer free classes to women in the Illawarra region living with disabilities or going through trauma.

Dr Jodi Edwards has devoted much of her life to promoting the Aboriginal culture, and in particular the Dharawal language.

She has supported or started numerous programs and initiatives relating to Aboriginal health and safety. She helped establish Shellharbour Aboriginal Youth Association, and has been a driving force behind Aboriginal youth programs such as Surf Skate Vegetate and learn to swim programs.

After her sporting career was cut short, Edwards completed her HSC at the age of 27 before embarking on an undergraduate degree while a single mother and carer. During her studies, she started documenting the Dharawal language.

She holds a Masters in Language Education and a PhD, and has published four Dharawal Dreaming Stories for children and Dharawal Words, Phrases and Activities, of which profits go to Dharawal Publishing for a literacy fund and help others become published authors.

She is establishing a women's and bubs program and mindfulness and well-being program based on Aboriginal cultural philosophy while completing fellowship studies, and is a NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year Award finalist.

Since completing a Bachelor of Medical Biotechnology degree in 2020, Chelsea Penney has turned her hand to finding a cure for certain cancers.

For her Honours project, she investigated treatments for gastric cancer, to determine the sensitivities of several drugs that target key genes. "This ultimately sparked my desire to pursue a career in cancer research," she said.

Since then, she has worked on several cancer research projects, investigating new treatments for gastric, breast, pancreatic and brain cancers.

"My research has contributed to two scientific manuscripts in preparation for publication this year," she said.

Now a full-time research assistant, she is investigating treatments for a highly lethal type of brain cancer, glioblastoma.

"The aim of my work is to trial the use of three chemotherapy drugs in combination; a treatment known as the FOLFIRI regimen, with the aim of identifying a new potential treatment regimen for this disease with very poor outcomes," she said.

She mentors other young female scientists, and trains students and staff in a wide range of specialist lab techniques.

Megan Neil was born with Klippel-feil Syndrome, which causes hearing impairment, scoliosis, congenital heart disease and respiratory problems. She also suffers from asthma and migraines.

After leaving school in 2003 after completing year 10 to concentrate on her health, Neil, now 35, of Koonawarra, decided to get her HSC, and enrolled at Five Islands Secondary College, Port Kembla.

"I went to prove to myself that I could get my HSC," she said. "But then I started to surprise myself with how much I was enjoying myself and achieving."

Not only did she discover a love of learning, but started thinking about pursuing higher education and a future career path.

"I found my passion of helping students there and decided I wanted to become a social worker," she said.

While studying for the HSC, she completed the UOW Wollongong Future Me program. She also recently received an ADF Long Tan Youth Leadership and Teamwork Award after being nominated by the school.

She is now studying a Bachelor of Social Work at University of Wollongong after being offered early entry.

"I have had many obstacles put in my path and I have overcome most of those obstacles with sheer determination," she said.

"With this mindset, I hope that I can achieve my goals, which will be to complete my university degree and become a social worker to support others that have gone through hardships like myself."

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