WATER POLO AUSTRALIA ANNOUNCES PKF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

Water Polo Australia (WPA) is pleased to announce the third-year recipients of the Professional Development (PD) Scholarship program.

The PD Scholarship program is available to current senior squad and National Age Group Program members, as well as senior squad members from the past two years.

The program is designed to offer athletes professional development opportunities, and could include university degrees, vocational courses, short course or micro-credentials, virtual internships, registration or licensing, as well as flights and accommodation to complete any of the above.

In it’s third year, WPA is pleased to announce that four athletes have been selected as recipients of the scholarship.

Olympic silver medalist Bronte Halligan, Ord Minnett Aussie Sharks dual Olympian George Ford and National Age Group Program squad members Harper Stewart and Georgia Chapman have all been named as recipients of the PD Scholarship.

The total funding pool of $10,000 will be split among the four successful applicants in year three, and is proudly supported by PKF Sydney and Newcastle, and WPA Alumnus Nick Falzon.

Water Polo Australia CEO Tim Welsford said: “Each year, our athletes are afforded the opportunity for additional financial support to contribute to their education endeavours, thanks to the support of PKF Sydney and Newcastle.

“Excellence both in and out of the pool is crucial for our athletes, and the support of PFK Sydney and Newcastle is muchly appreciated by Water Polo Australia and our athletes,” he said.

Nick expressed the firm’s great pleasure at the continued success of the Development Scholarships “We’re very proud to be able to support this program. The balance between making the commitment to being an elite level athlete and still creating a well-rounded life can be challenging and the water polo community should be very proud of the way these young people achieve that.”

2025 PKF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

Bronte Halligan: Bronte is currently undertaking a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course to qualify as an English language instructor while residing in Italy. This course provides an excellent opportunity for her to engage in meaningful and dynamic work while pursuing her competitive endeavours abroad.

George Ford: George has recently made the decision to transition to a new career path. Recognising that his role as a respiratory scientist was not providing the fulfillment he sought, he has taken a bold step toward pursuing a more dynamic and rapidly evolving field: Data Science. To facilitate this transition, George has enrolled in a three-month "Data Science and Machine Learning" course, equipping him with the necessary skills and knowledge to embark on a career in data science.

Harper Stewart: Harper aspires to become an entrepreneur and business leader. To support his future endeavors, he is currently studying financial management, marketing, and strategic planning, equipping himself with the essential skills needed for success in the business world.

Georgia Chapman: Georgia is passionate about supporting young people and ensuring they feel valued, seen, and heard. She is currently studying educational pedagogy, curriculum design, and student psychology to deepen her understanding of primary teaching. She is eager to develop these skills to educate, mentor, and support future generations of students.