Louisa’s featured project was a ‘Girls in STEM’ app that acts as a third-party recruitment agency for women to have direct access to STEM workplaces, projects and courses.
Rise is the anchor program of a $1 billion philanthropic commitment by Eric and Wendy Schmidt to find and support global talent, in partnership with Rhodes Trust and Public Education Foundation (PEF).
PEF’s Executive Director David Hetherington said: “We extend our warmest congratulations to Louisa. Her plan to create better pathways for women into STEM careers is both creative and timely as we are understand more about the longstanding institutional barriers to such careers.”
Getting the news on the night of her 16th birthday, Louisa said it was an honour to be chosen out of so many.
“The Rise program has given me a platform to raise relevant issues in our society, mine specifically, tackling the gender gap in STEM related fields,” she said.
“I will be forever grateful for being chosen as the only Australian Rise winner and for all the opportunities.”
These opportunities include a higher education scholarship, global residential summits, mentorship and career services and access to global programming and networks plus annual technology packages.
To apply for next year or find out more, visit risefortheworld.org.
Only Australian student selected on 100 global winners list for Rise boost
OUT of 10,000 applications worldwide, one Australian student – Canterbury’s Louisa Balechion – has been named on the inaugural 100 Winners List for ‘Rise’, a global initiative that finds brilliant young people who need opportunity and supports them for life as they work to serve others.
