Nominations are now open for 2023 Audi Foundation - Country Education Foundation of Australia (CEF) Alumni Awards, and CEF is calling for nominations of students and alumni from each of its 45 local foundations.
Audi Foundation has again generously jumped on board to sponsor this year's awards, which will be held virtually, with the winners to be showcased in person at CEF's 30th Anniversary Gala event in Orange, NSW, on the 18th November.
This year, CEF celebrates 30 years of operation and is set to announce in the coming months almost 8000 individual grants and scholarships awarded, totalling over $17 million in direct financial support to rural and regional youth since inception.
Any student who has received a grant from any CEF local foundation is eligible to be nominated, anyone can nominate a student and proud self-nominations are also encouraged.
CEF CEO Juliet Petersen said it was important to recognise the achievements of CEF students this year by nominating them under the five award categories.
"Our alumni are truly inspirational. Their strength of character and commitment towards their educational and career goals is worth celebrating. Please get behind this year's Audi Foundation Alumni Awards and nominate a CEF alumni today!" she said.
The five award categories this year are:
CEF Rising Star
A current student (1st or 2nd year) with a bright future and demonstrated commitment to achieving their goals.
CEF Launching Star
A current student (3rd year or above) with a bright future and demonstrated commitment to achieving their goals.
CEF Young Achiever
A recent graduate with determination and talent, resulting in early career accomplishments in their field of choice.
CEF Community Alumni Champion
A recipient who has taken their knowledge back to a regional area to share and inspire, and who fosters further education.
CEF Alumnus of the Year
A past recipient who has achieved on a regional, national or international stage, showing excellence in character and leadership and demonstrating high achievement.
CEF have partnered with Audi Foundation since their establishment in 2017, to support rural and regional youth in accessing post-school education and are thrilled to have the Foundation sponsoring the Alumni Awards again.
Head of Audi Foundation Hayley Nissim said the Foundation was proud to support CEF.
"The wonderful and inspiring results we see through our partnership with CEF made it an easy decision to support them again to ensure they can continue delivering the recognition its rural and regional youth deserve. We are proud to support CEF and the alumni awards," she said.
Last year's winner of the main award, CEF Alumnus of the Year, Elise Prior of Kapunda, SA, said the Alumni Awards proved what educational equality for rural and regional students, CEF's mission, could achieve.
"The calibre of winners and nominees, both past and present, is a testament to what an Australian that has fully achieved educational equity for rural youth would look like. It is a tangible demonstration of how important the Country Education Foundation's work to achieve that equity is," she said.
To nominate a current CEF student or alumni, visit: https://cef.org.au/cef-alumni-awards/
Nominations close on the 22nd September.
Winners will be announced online on the 22nd October.
