Annabell wins inaugural honour

Country Education Foundation (CEF) today announced the inaugural 2025 Tim Fischer Fellow with the recipient on a clear mission to help school students in rural and regional communities access the right roadmap to fully realise their potential. Annabelle Hudson, a 24 year old aspiring psychologist originally from Young in NSW, grew up seeing many capable friends and peers underestimate their potential not through lack of ability, but because they could not yet see what was possible for themselves. Following more than 200 applications for the Tim Fischer Fellowship, which is named after CEF’s founding Patron, and a rigorous selection process, Ms Hudson was chosen for a program she devised, which will now become a reality, called True North - a practical, co-designed program where students will learn to orientate their own career compass based on their skills and ambitions. Ms Hudson said she was honoured to be awarded the Fellowship and deeply committed to her program which aligns with Tim Fischer’s passion for better education outcomes for people living outside of the big cities. “The challenge isn’t a lack of programs, but that too few are tailored to the rural context and delivered consistently," she said. "Many capable students underestimate their potential, and can’t yet see clear paths into futures that excite them. "I saw this with my best friend, who left school in Year 10 and later returned to study as a mature-age student. "What changed for her was self-belief. "True North builds that self-belief, helps students identify their strengths, values, interests and capabilities, and turns this insight into simple next steps, so choices come from self-belief, not self-doubt.” Country Education Foundation CEO Wendy Mason said she was overwhelmed with the number and breadth of applications, but ultimately, after a rigorous process the judging panel chose an idea that could be implemented to make a real impact. “I would like to thank everyone who applied for the Fellowship," she said. "In its first year, it was inspiring to see so many people with such passion for helping our regional and rural communities. "What made Annabelle stand out was her program that will equip students to recognise their strengths, values, and capabilities to build self-belief and expand their sense of possibility, then turn that into goals, next steps and an Action Plan." Annabell's program focuses on Year 10 rural and regional students, at a time when they often lack self-belief and tools at the moment they’re making life-shaping decisions. Co-designed with students for relevance and engagement, students will be equipped with a ‘Guide to the Future’ and a GROW plan with 7-day and 30-day steps. Annabelle, who currently teaches psychology at University of NSW (UNSW) and University of Technology Sydney (UTS), previously served as a UNSW Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Ambassador, facilitating workshops that empowered underrepresented students, including those from rural and regional backgrounds, to access higher education with confidence. Judy Brewer AO, the wife of the late Tim Fischer AC, said her husband would be thrilled that the first ever Fellow was someone who had grown up in rural Australia, benefitted from a great tertiary education in the city but is now using that start in her career to invest in young students from the bush. “Tim always had big dreams and ambitions, and he was living proof that with a little headstart, a help up and determination you can achieve anything, no matter where you’re from," Ms Brewer said. "Tim never lost sight that many regional communities face challenges that bigger cities don’t, so this Fellowship is a way to find some new solutions to those barriers. Annabelle’s project has the potential to provide career guidance at a critical time for rural and regional young people, creating change through reusable tools and leaving a legacy that will continue after the Fellowship ends.” A panel of judges reviewed each application, assessing the submissions against a detailed criteria, including alignment with the Fellowship’s objectives, feasibility of the project, and potential impact on rural and regional communities. A shortlist of finalists proceeded to interview stage where they presented their idea to the judging panel and answered questions about their project. As the inaugural recipient of the Fellowship, Annabelle received $50,000 in financial support to implement her initiative, whilst also gaining access to the Country Education Foundation’s network of professionals, academics and community leaders for mentoring and advice. “It’s been a really strong response of high-calibre applications for our inaugural year, and is testament to the legacy of Tim Fischer,” Ms Mason said. “We are really thrilled that we can continue Tim Fischer’s work through the Fellowship and make a tangible difference to regional and rural communities.”