Community
12 February, 2021
Bright future for Cairns teens
THE future is bright for Cairns teenagers, Bailey Devine-Cairncross, 18, and Yuna Tindale, 17 – this year’s winners of the Zonta Club of Cairns Encouragement Awards.
The annual awards – valued at $1000 each – recognise and support outstanding local young women to progress their study and career aspirations.
Star athlete and St Mary’s Catholic College graduate, Bailey Devine-Cairncross, is a black belt in karate.
She will study pharmacy and hopes to challenge gender stereotypes.
She describes her mother as her role model and shares the belief that women can achieve anything.
With her drive and determination, Bailey excelled in various sports during school, including track and field events, AFL and soccer.
St Andrew’s Catholic College graduate, Yuna Tindale, will study medicine and hopes to support people of all cultures and postcodes, including First Nations people in rural communities, with access to quality healthcare.
She has volunteered with the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation at Cairns Base Hospital and homelessness initiative, Wheels of Wellness.
At the age of 15, Yuna participated in the CQUniversity’s Start University Now (SUN) program and was the highest placed student in her CQUniversity Medical Science Course, earning a high
distinction.
Both will study at James Cook University.
Zonta Club of Cairns President Roslyn Scott said the awards helped ease financial burden to enable young women to focus on their studies.
“Each year, the Zonta Club of Cairns provides two awards to Year 12 students towards starting their chosen tertiary or vocational education,” Ms Scott said.
“The aim of the award is to help young women overcome barriers to progress their study and careers, and also encourage take-up of non-traditional careers and professions for women,” she said.
