Scholarship in memory creates lasting legacy, changes lives
Crossing the graduation stage recently for Rebecca Lisle was a milestone made possible thanks to the legacy of late Gladstone man Herb Cordero and the generosity of his Santos GLNG colleagues who have helped to fund a scholarship in his name.
The CQUniCares Santos GLNG Herb Cordero Memorial Scholarship recognises and financially supports an undergraduate or postgraduate student living in the Gladstone Region Local Government Area undertaking studies in a STEM or business-related discipline, with one scholarship awarded annually up to the value of $5 000.
Ms Lisle was the proud inaugural recipient of the scholarship named in Herb’s honour, and said she was grateful for the support the scholarship offered her in her study journey.
“I am told that integrity, accountability and building towards a better future are just some of the exceptional traits that the late Herb Cordero displayed throughout his life and as a treasured employee at Santos GLNG; and I am honoured that Mr Cordero’s colleagues and the scholarship panel awarded me the inaugural scholarship. I hope that I can live up to his legacy in my future career," Ms Lisle said.
“Receiving this scholarship made a massive difference in my final year of study and has inspired me to support my peers and live by the values Herb demonstrated.
“I am a single parent and strong believer in life-long learning, so I think it’s vital to set an example and show my children that higher education can open doors to endless opportunities and change lives.”
Ms Lisle also said the financial support of the scholarship meant that she was able to increase her study load and finish her course a year earlier than expected, allowing her the opportunity to graduate at last week’s ceremony in Gladstone (December 8, 2023).
“Having the support of Santos was great motivation in what was a tough year of my studies. It was nice to know that I had some really great people backing me, and I wouldn’t be in this position if it wasn’t for this amazing opportunity.”
With her undergraduate degree now completed, Rebecca said she was looking forward to returning to study in future and had plans to undertake postgraduate psychology studies in domestic and family violence.
“I hope to play a part in helping to overcome the challenges Australia is facing in this space; I feel this (domestic violence) is a significant problem affecting all Australians and we need more people specialising in the area, especially in regional communities.”
Herb Cordero was a well-respected Control Room Team Leader and Engineer who was an integral part of moulding and developing the Santos GLNG Team; he was also a much-loved husband and father who sadly lost his battle with cancer in 2022.
Santos GLNG Principal Operations Adviser Shane Hicks, who was a colleague and close friend of Herb’s, said that the GLNG Team was delighted to witness Ms Lisle’s success, and that there is a strong feeling of pride that the scholarship was helping to keep Herb’s memory alive.
“It has been a privilege to award the Herb Cordero Memorial Scholarship to a student who embodies these values and the example that Herb set,” Shane said.
“It’s an exciting opportunity for local CQUniversity students to be recognised for their hard work and to be given the support they need to succeed to achieve their goals – something that Herb was always encouraging people to do.”
CQUniCares scholarships exist to make a difference, have transformative impact and create lasting change within communities.
Applications are now open for the first round of scholarships for 2024 including the CQUniCares Santos GLNG Herb Cordero Memorial Scholarship. More information can be found by visiting the CQUniversity scholarships page.
Watch the video below for more information about the Herb Cordero Memorial Scholarship.
Transcript
[Music]
Stephen Harty Santos GLNG CEO:
Herb Cordero was a valued member of the Santos GLNG team for eight years when he passed away in mid 2022.
The loss was felt deeply across our organisation particularly by the teams that Herb worked with closely on Curtis Island.
It was well known that Herb had a passion for education, personal and professional growth, and believed in lifelong learning.
These are also qualities that we value here at GLNG.
Our team is proud to be able to play a small role in helping to keep Herb's memory alive with the Herb Cordero Memorial Scholarship.
The scholarship will support students at CQUniversity Gladstone, helping them to achieve their learning goals in line with Herb's own values.
Santos employee and Herb's teammate Haylee Cullen:
Herb was a genuine person so he was genuine in everything that he did; he genuinely cared about people and people succeeding; he cared about your family, your inside and outside of work; he cared about building team rapport; he built people up - he would always bring people up; he led by example; he was a true leader; he liked to share his knowledge - he always said to me that whatever he learned he would always share it with me and everyone that he he worked with, you know, educating people to be the best that they could be.
Santos employee and Herb's teammate Shane Hicks:
For the scholarship definitely um yeah we're looking for someone that that uh has a little bit of Herb in them you know, yeah that shows the same traits as what Herb um bought to Santos GLNG, so I think it's a really exciting uh time um and uh what a great honour for the family, the Cordero family to have this in place.
Herb Cordero's surviving wife Myka:
When we received this email that they're going to have these scholarship 5year scholarship um for Herb - I'm speechless you know. It's such a great opportunity and he really made a big impact to this company this Santos GLNG, so whoever is going to get it I know that um they will make a big impact as well in their in their educations.
Scholarship recipient Rebecca Lisle:
It's definitely worth having to go for a scholarship, it makes a massive massive difference you might not feel that it's going to do that much but that extra money makes a big difference and just the just the support putting that extra time into my studies has meant that I will be able to finish my degree this year; without the scholarship I would have had to have gone for an extra year.
It's a privilege to be the inaugural recipient of the Herb Cordero Memorial Scholarship and I hope that I can inspire others in their lifelong learning journey and encourage others to live by the values that Herb lived by.
[Music]
