26 May, 2025
Each year students living and working in rural and remote areas of Australia have the opportunity to apply for one of two full qualification RuralBiz Training scholarships.
Cassandra Butler is a proud Cabrogal Dharug woman from New South Wales, now living on Gunaikurnai Country in Victoria. She is one of two lucky students to be awarded a scholarship in 2025. As the Community Success Lead at an Indigenous-owned business, she works closely with remote Aboriginal communities, focusing on facilitation and coordination.
Passionate about First Nations agriculture and sustainable food systems, Cassandra chose to study the Diploma of Community Group Coordination and Facilitation for its flexible, distance-based delivery. Balancing full-time work and raising five children, the scholarship supports her goal of strengthening community leadership and ensuring that Indigenous knowledge continues to guide food production for future generations.
Cassandra believes that by completing the Diploma of Community Group Coordination and Facilitation, she will be significantly empowered to achieve her career and business goals of fostering, promoting, and supporting Indigenous rural community development, especially in natural resource management activities. She is looking forward to increasing her understanding of group dynamics and learning advanced facilitation techniques. Another big drawcard to the course is the focus on leadership and collaboration which will strengthen her capacity to build partnerships with various stakeholders, including government agencies, non-profits, and other communities.