Amanda Martin of Morningside and four other young Queenslanders have been honoured to receive the 2022 Jack Cranstoun Scholarship for their passion and skills in mediation and dispute resolution.
During a ceremony held at the Brisbane Supreme and District Court, the five awardees received scholarships worth $3,500 each. Amanda was named among the scholarship recipients under the First Nation’s People’s category.
As a young student, Amanda struggled with public speaking. Whenever she was given an opportunity to face her fears, however, she gladly accepted the challenge. She has participated in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Moot Court competition where despite her misgivings about public speaking, she placed second.
Amanda is described as a proud Gadigal woman who is driven and passionate about community service and embodies the spirit of giving back through her extensive volunteer commitments
Photo credit: Facebook / Shannon Fentiman MP
The winners were congratulated by Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Shannon Fentiman who said that the judges were so impressed with the calibre of applicants, they awarded an extra scholarship in the CALD category.
“Since its establishment in 2015, the Jack Cranstoun scholarships have attracted exceptional young candidates with diverse backgrounds from across our State and our 2022 winners are no exception,” Minister Fentiman said.
“This year, in addition to regional and general scholarships, two new categories were introduced for First Nations Peoples and for people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds.
The rest of the 2022 scholarship recipients include Letticia Gooroovadoo (regional category), Nana Makatema (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse category), Nadia Saeed (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse category), and Gemma Sampson (general category).
“I applaud Amanda, Nana, Nadia, Letticia and Gemma for their achievements to date and wish them every success with their mediation training.”
The Jack Cranstoun memorial scholarship is an initiative funded by the Queensland Government in honour of the memory of Jack Cranston, a talented young mediator within the Department of Justice and Attorney-General who sadly lost his life in 2014.
“Mr Cranstoun’s colleagues recognised that offering opportunities to young people in his name would be a fitting tribute for someone who was a gifted problem solver in his own right,” Minister Fentiman said.
“They are no doubt proud of the talent the program has attracted.”
Applicants for the scholarship undergo assessment for merit and interview by a panel regarding relevant criteria as well as their passion for mediation. The lucky recipients will receive mediation and dispute resolution skills enhancement training conducted by experienced mediators from Queensland’s Dispute Resolution Branch. They would have the opportunity to be assessed for National Mediator Accreditation.
“Mediators provide an invaluable service to the community, helping people resolve their differences without the need to go to court,” Minister Fentiman said.
“With a high rate of success, mediators save time, legal fees and court costs for the people involved – and the community at large – and help to free up the court system.”
More information about mediation training and the Dispute Resolution Branch can be found here.