When former elite athlete and Edith Cowan University student Grace Hull applied for a New Colombo Plan (NCP) Scholarship, she never anticipated what an impact it would have on her life and her career.
It was 2021, and she was halfway through a Bachelor of Psychology majoring in sports business.
At the same time, she was coming to grips with the end of her elite swimming career that had begun when she was eight years old.
The winding down of that career became a catalyst for Grace that would ultimately lead her to establish The Prevention Movement, an online educational resource around safeguarding in sport, with a focus on gender, disability and multicultural safeguarding.
When Grace applied for the NCP Scholarship, she had no idea what her future might look like, nor the impact the NCP experience would have on her career.
'At that time, I was just thinking this will be an exciting 18 months abroad,' she says.
'Instead, it completely transformed me.'
NCP 2024 Alumni Ambassador Grace Hull. Credit: Grace Hull
She spent the first part of her program in Thailand engaged in intensive language classes in Phuket and Bangkok and studied at Mahidol University.
It was her internship with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in Indonesia that opened the door to her career today.
Following her internship, Grace has continued working across the Indo-Pacific for UNESCO as an international development consultant.
Having represented Australia internationally as a junior swimmer in sport, Grace says she found she had a lot of transferable skills that held her in good stead for her new career.
'I think representing Australia in swimming gave me some resilience because there are always moments away from home and in new environments when you feel isolated or challenged,' she says.
'But going from an elite sporting career into international development is not something I ever imagined for myself.'
'Working with UNESCO in youth engagement confirmed my sense that young people are already capable of so much, we just need to carve out spaces for them to use their talents and creativity,' she says.
'Growing up in the sporting world, and facing the challenges I did, I still knew that my voice was valuable, I just didn't have the space to use it.
'Now that I am officially working for UNESCO, I want to influence social development and facilitate the tools for young people to make their mark and make change.'
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'There are so many people out there that have the capacity to do great things, we need to support the platforms and connections for them to succeed.'
Today Grace is completing a Masters in Humanitarianism and Development at Deakin University and working in Jakarta for UNESCO.
She is continuing her work with The Prevention Movement, which has received seed funding from the International Olympic Committee.
Enthusiastic about encouraging more Australian university students to study in the Indo-Pacific, she is also championing the program as an NCP Alumni Ambassador.
'I talk regularly to students at Edith Cowan University, and I think my message – that the NCP is for everyone – is influenced by my own experience,' she says.
'Some people have their goals all clearly mapped out when they apply for an NCP Scholarship, but the fact is NCP is for everybody; all sorts of degrees and backgrounds – music, drama, marine science – no matter what you are studying, the NCP will be a valuable experience for you.'
'It will challenge you, it will push you to grow as a person, teach you about the Indo-Pacific and Australia's place there. It will connect you with other talented energetic people, provide you with experience and employment opportunities, it will introduce you to lifelong friends, and in many cases, it will transform you.'
