Jessica Duthie has been named the Bega Valley Shire Young Citizen of the Year for 2022. The awards will be officially presented at a special event in Littleton Gardens Bega on Australia Day, January 26.
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Jessica Duthie from Brown Mountain is a focused and determined young woman studying to become a childcare worker. What many of us might see as unmanageable barriers to achieving her career goals, Jessica takes in her stride.
Jessica is a young carer who looks after her two younger siblings when her mother is unwell, which has made her schooling and studying particularly challenging.
She has completed her Certificate III Pathway to Further Study at the Bega campus of TAFE. She was a successful applicant for Bega Valley Shire Council's 2021 further education scholarship and bought herself a laptop.
The course has given Jessica the study skills necessary to succeed in the next stage of her education, a Certificate IV in Community Services. With this qualification, Jessica will be able to gain work experience in childcare centres.
Looking after her siblings over the years has given Jessica solid practical experience and is something she really enjoys. Jessica's long-term goal is to run her own after-school care business.