A young woman from Bomaderry is thriving in her dream career in horticulture after being named one of 25 national winners of the Global Footprints Scholarship. Olivia Williams, 23, discovered her passion for horticulture during a gap year as an exchange student in Austria, where she stayed with a family that ran a business specialising in endemic plant species. (Endemic plants are those found only in a specific region, often requiring particular altitudes, climates, and soil conditions.)

Upon returning from her gap year in the rocky Alps, Williams enrolled in a Certificate III in Horticulture at TAFE NSW Nowra. She has since completed an apprenticeship with Schultz Landscaping and now co-manages the business.

The Global Footprints Scholarship provides $9,000 to recipients in agriculture, horticulture, or trades to travel overseas for industry experience and professional development.

“When I got the call telling me I’d been awarded the scholarship, I almost dropped the phone,” Ms Williams said.

She plans to use the scholarship funds to travel abroad and explore her interests in species conservation and bush regeneration.

“I’m really interested in the intersection between horticulture and conservation, and this will be an amazing opportunity to see how other countries are approaching this,” Ms Williams said.

TAFE NSW Head Teacher of Horticulture Ben Garnero noted that Ms Williams is part of a growing group of female horticulturalists leaving a positive impact in the field.

“Horticulture is an exciting field to be part of right now, and it’s great to see TAFE NSW graduates like Olivia achieving such success,” he said. 

“This is another example of the real-world skills TAFE NSW provides to train the workforce of the future.”

Congratulations Olivia!