Riverine Plains and Uncle Tobys are pleased to announce that two outstanding students have been named as the 2021 recipients of the John Hanrahan Scholarship and the Inaugural Uncle Tobys Scholarship.

The recipient of the John Hanrahan Scholarship is Jessica Ryan from Estella, NSW, while the recipient of the Uncle Tobys Scholarship is Thomas Hatty, from Tocumwal, NSW.

Riverine Plains Chief Executive Officer, Ms Catherine Marriott, said that both the John Hanrahan and Uncle Tobys Scholarships recognise the excellence shown by local students studying for an agriculture-related qualification, while also providing additional opportunities for these students within the industry.

“As well as being capable students, both Jessica and Thomas have shown themselves to be active community members who are both passionate about their future roles in agriculture” said Catherine.

“These characteristics were especially important in the case of the John Hanrahan Scholarship, which was established by Riverine Plains in honour of the late John Hanrahan, from Coreen, whose community spirit, passion for agriculture and thirst for knowledge was renowned” explained Catherine.

Similarly, the Uncle Tobys Scholarship is an initiative designed to help make agriculture an attractive career choice for young people.

“We are passionate about supporting young people who have the enthusiasm and mindset to improve both farming economics and sustainability. Both of these attributes are essential to build a successful farming industry for the future” said Scott Boxshall, Nestlé Wahgunyah Factory Manager.

John Hanrahan Scholar, Jessica Ryan, is currently undertaking a Bachelor of Agricultural Business Management at Charles Sturt University.

Jessica has an interest in agricultural advocacy and politics, and is looking to help shape the future of agriculture by speaking up on issues affecting farmers. Jessica has worked across the livestock, cropping, machinery and infrastructure components of her family’s mixed farming enterprise and her background in agriculture gives her a very practical understanding of the challenges involved in farming.

Uncle Tobys Scholar, Thomas Hatty, is undertaking a combined Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Agricultural Science at LaTrobe University.

Thomas also has a farming background, with experience in cropping and other agricultural businesses. His initiative and resourcefulness has seen him travel overseas and take on quite significant levels of responsibility in his employment experiences, while his involvement in local sport and with local students has seen him give back to the community. Thomas has an interest in grains and crop agronomy and hopes to work directly with farmers to address production and operational issues, with a focus on sustainability and continued improvement using technological innovations and research outcomes.

As 2021 Scholarship recipients, both Jessica and Thomas receive a bursary of $5,000.

Both students expressed their appreciation of the financial support provided by the Scholarships and the opportunity to further develop their networks and learning experiences.

Riverine Plains would like to thank the Hanrahan family for the generous donation that led to the establishment of the Scholarship, as well as all those who have made financial or in-kind donations to the Scholarship Fund over the past few years.

Riverine Plains also thanks Uncle Tobys, for their commitment to supporting local tertiary students and for providing development pathways in support of regional agriculture.

Applications for the 2022 John Hanrahan and Uncle Tobys Scholarships will open in July 2021, with further details available from www.riverineplains.org.au closer to this date.