Student wins PM’s prize

The new year looks sure to bring great things for Rockingham student Tennille Bernhard, after she was awarded a national scholarship worth more than $50,000.

The Murdoch University Asian Studies student beat out a pool of hundreds of applicants nationwide to take the prestigious Prime Minister’s Australia Asia undergraduate scholarship.

Ms Bernhard, who is also a research assistant at the university’s South Street campus, will complete the last year of her studies in Indonesia and take part in an internship on her return.

She said she had not expected to win the $53,000 award, but was hopeful that she would be given the opportunity to conduct research in West Java during the second half of the year.

Ms Bernhard said she was passionate about disability-inclusive development, and hoped to work with Indonesian universities to improve access and equity.

“People living with disabilities don’t get a lot of support to study in Indonesia and I’ve always wanted to do something useful, so this could be a good fit,” she said.