Eliza is one of our 2017 Leadership Competition winners. You can check out her winning entry here and her bio below.
Describe yourself in 80 words or less.
I am Eliza Nelligan and I have grown up 25 kilometres away from the small country town of Cummins about 7 hours by road away from Adelaide the closest major city. I have always enjoyed being involved in community and sporting events putting myself out there to contribute to communities around me in anyway I can. I am an outgoing passionate girl who believes that you can to do whatever you want to if you put your mind to it.
How old are you, what grade are you in and what community/town do you live in?
I am 17 and in Grade 11 at St Josephs School, Port Lincoln. I started my schooling at Cummins Area School which is 25 kilometres away from where I live on my family farm. I moved to Saint josephs school in yr. 8 to continue my senior years if school.
Who is your role model and why?
My parents are the biggest role models in my life. This is because they have brought myself and 4 siblings up to believe in ourselves and know that if we put our minds to it we can achieve anything we desire. They have blessed us kids with a stable upbringing that many children do not receive. This has taught us to be grateful for every opportunity our life opens for us and to always look at the positives from the negatives.
What’s your favourite thing about living in rural Australia?
My favourite thing about growing up in the rural Australia is the skills and quality’s that I have had to learn. Growing up in a small town on a farm has taught me resilience, and that hard work is the best way to achieve your goals. I have loved the atmosphere that I have been brought up in, growing up in a small country town has provided me with life long friends and family that goes beyond blood.
Why did you enter Country to Canberra’s Leadership Competition?
I entered the country to Canberra leadership program as I thought that it would not only be an amazing experience but it would help equip me with important skill that will benefit me in the future. The experienced gained and the personal opportunities that meeting people with a high influence and power will be a valuable tool as I enter the final year of my schooling and enter the big world beyond.
What do you hope to get out of the Power Trip to Canberra?
I hope to meet influential and powerful women on the power trip, gain new life experience’s that would have never been offered to me otherwise, open my options for when I finish school, gain important life schools, get to know Canberra and what it had to offer and gain and create new life long friendships.
What’s your main goal/ambition right now?
My main goal at the moment is to focus on my studies and finish my final years of school, and leave myself able to go down any career path that I decide to. This will require hard work and dedication throughout year 12. I also hope to continue taking on leadership roles and having a positive impact on the community.
What’s your favourite quote?
“Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us.” Wilma Rudolph
Tell us a couple of things you do to relax/have fun?
To relax I like to hang out with friends, listen to music or go to the beach.
How do people stay in touch with you?
People normally keep in touch with me via Instagram, messenger or Snapchat.