AS a young woman Mansfield’s Alicia Fox always loved maths and physics and had a yearning to pursue a double degree in engineering which became a reality thanks to a scholarship offered by the Skip Foundation, in partnership with the Australian National University (ANU).

To help unlock opportunities for young women from regional Victoria to pursue a Bachelor of Engineering the Kim Jackson Scholarship was established.

Kim Jackson, co-founder of the Skip Foundation and long-time advocate of equality in education, won a scholarship in Engineering and Commerce at the ANU in the early 2000s after moving from regional Queensland.

Ms Jackson, an ANU Alumna graduated in 2002 with a Bachelor of Engineering Honours and a Bachelor of Commerce.

Recipient Alicia Fox, who grew up in the Mansfield district, said the scholarship made her dream of studying possible, and provided an invaluable network she credits for her perseverance and performance in her studies.

“Growing up in regional Victoria, I always knew that I’d have to leave my hometown to pursue my dream career in systems engineering,” Ms Fox said.

Extremely thankful for the wonderful support from teachers and staff at the Mansfield Secondary College Ms Fox knew by years 11 to 12, she had to be more intentional to achieve her dream at a tertiary level.

“Being awarded the Kim Jackson Scholarship has given me the incredible opportunity to focus on my academic and extracurricular pursuits rather than having to balance work and study,” Ms Fox said.

“As a young woman in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), having access to the support network provided by the scholarship has helped me persevere through tough times and excel in my studies.

“Not only have I made friends with other scholars, I’ve also met incredible female leaders in the field who would have otherwise been out of reach.”

Ms Fox’s choice of engineering allows her to be part of the next generation of leaders and innovators.

“I want to be one of the women who help bridge the gap in the industry,” she said.

Currently in the third year of a five year degree, she is doing a double major in systems engineering, and economics which is generously supported by the Kim Jackson Scholarship.

She really loves living and studying in Canberra and occasionally bumps into other ANU students from Mansfield.

“The scholarship has supported my move to Canberra, and to explore my passion more deeply and to set up a good base,“ she said.

Grateful for the financial security, Ms Fox said it allowed her “to live” and took away the usual anxieties for university students especially for those away from home.

“I can focus on building connections and exploring research opportunities,” she said.

Her current internship with Data Pod has given Ms Fox the chance to be involved in research projects around renewable energy.

Having the extra time to focus on studies will see her accept an option later in the year to add a BA in Systems (Research and Development) to Ms Fox’s workload.

She is extremely excited about this incredible opportunity which allows for Ms Fox to participate and lead projects.

“You have to maintain a certain mark to remain in the course and the scholarship allows me to focus on that and maintain my grades,” she said.

Ms Fox spoke of the network with other engineering students, male and female as being super supportive of each other.

The university has also connected her to various highly regarded female academics and professors in leadership roles.

Another exciting development in the second semester this year, is to travel to Canada as an exchange student at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

Would she consider moving back to a regional or rural area to start her engineering career?

“There is potential in the future for renewables and batteries," she said.

When possible, Ms Fox comes home to visit family and spend time with her red heeler dog.

Her mother Catriona Fox teaches maths and science at the Mansfield Secondary College where her two brothers also attend.

When she speaks of Mansfield it is with great affection.

Meanwhile, she is creating a pathway to inspire other young regional women to take up engineering.

According to the Skip Foundation women are consistently underrepresented in STEM-qualified fields, representing just 15 per cent of the workforce.

In engineering, women make up just 16 per cent of university graduates and constitute only 13 per cent of the engineering workforce, despite the sector being the largest employer of all STEM professions.

The Kim Jackson Scholarship was recently increased to $25,000 annually for both existing and future scholars as part of a newly assigned agreement between the Skip Foundation and the ANU School of Engineering.

Applications for the 2026 program have already closed.