About the Phillip Riley Renewable Energy Scholarship:
The Phillip Riley Group launched the Phillip Riley Renewable Energy Scholarship in early 2022. The Scholarship was designed to support the next generation of leaders to help meet Australia’s energy sector challenges.
Scott Robinson, MD says “Our goal in establishing this Scholarship was to encourage students to learn more about the renewable energy sector”. The Phillip Riley Renewable Energy Scholarship aims to support students currently undertaking a university degree with the intention of applying their knowledge towards renewable energy. The Scholarship is intended to support students throughout their degree, providing $20,000 over the course of the typical 4 year degree.
The Recipient of the inaugural Phillip Riley Scholarship
The Phillip Riley Group are proud to announce the recipient of the inaugural Phillip Riley Scholarship in Renewable Energy: Grace Rosier!
Grace, pictured here with Managing Director Scott Robinson. Grace is a student of Engineering, Science, Astronomy & Astrophysics, and Mechatronics at Macquarie University in Sydney.
The Phillip Riley Group are proud to support a young woman dedicating her life to a zero-carbon emission future. Scott Robinson also added “…we are delighted to support female engineers who are underrepresented in the industry, and we are thrilled to have met Grace Rosier during this process. She is passionate about the need for change and she represents the future of our industry”.
The Phillip Riley Group would like to thank Macquarie University for their partnership, and we commend the University on their initiatives to encourage and support female participation in STEM industries.
Photo: Samantha Rosenfels from Macquarie University, Grace Rosier and Scott Robinson
The Future Is Renewable!
Meet Grace:
(My name is Grace Rosier and) I am studying a Bachelor of Engineering specialising in Mechatronics and a Bachelor of Science majoring in Astronomy. My passion for renewable energy stems from the positive impact it has on the environment. It is a clean, alternative source of power that has so much potential for new developments for engineers like me. I am constantly drawn to the interdisciplinary approach that renewable energy has, incorporating my love of engineering with science and maths. As an engineer in the making, I am eager to plan and construct designs that continuously improve our way of life while we reap the long-term benefits.
To me, the Phillip Riley Scholarship in Renewable Energy represents support for the younger generation of leaders who are at the forefront of the sustainable revolution. As a female in engineering, I am often faced with challenges however, receiving this scholarship is recognition of my perseverance during my first year and will encourage me to maintain that into the future. The funding that this scholarship provides allows me to maintain a healthy study and life balance. It also contributes to financially supporting myself throughout my degree.
Growing up in middle-class suburban Sydney I didn’t have a lot of exposure to sustainable practices. It wasn’t until I reached high school that my passion for environmental change began to grow. From 2017 – 2019 I was a founding member of the Environmental Club at high school. This club promoted beneficial environmental practices such as creating wildlife corridors for animals and plants to thrive, planting days for the whole school to contribute to the natural spaces and running workshops to teach primary school students the importance of climate change action.
During my final years of high school, I was enrolled in 4 HSC science classes including Biology, Earth and Environmental Science, and Science Extension where my final project was assessing the statistics of coral bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef. By the end of my secondary education, I had gained many valuable experiences that had contributed to my passion for using the resources around us to create a sustainable future. I constantly reflect on how my teachers, friends and family encouraged me to pursue a career in renewable energy and how grateful I am to have been recognised for my hard work and dedication through multiple awards such as the John Sauer Environmental Award and 2020 Principals Award.
10 years from now I see myself as part of an organisation that is creating solutions to problems impacting the local and global community. In a decade I would like to have a wide range of experiences under my belt that I can draw upon. These could include creating underwater robots to learn more about the marine environment, building sources of clean energy for disadvantaged communities in the pacific or encouraging the community to work together to help make Australia carbon neutral. I will be working in a team that spends time in the office planning together and apply these designs in the hands-on engineering field. Whatever my future holds, I am currently taking it one step at a time and seeing where it might lead me.
My inspiration was and continues to be my HSC Biology teacher who encouraged me to pursue a career in STEM. His passion for sharing his knowledge of science with others was shown through dedication to engage students with the subject. His love for science was contagious and inspired me to follow in his footsteps. To this day he has taught me how to search for answers to any problem and to find joy in teaching others.
Want to learn more about the scholarship? Send us an email to find out more.
