Industry-wide award recipients Melissa Hoban, Bethany Knight, Damian McCarthy, Ying (Sunny) Zhao and Bendigo TAFE chief executive Sally Curtain. Photo: Bill Conroy.
Bendigo TAFE recently awarded its top students of the year, with a Rochy local among them.
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It was a big night for Bethany Knight as she was named Bendigo TAFE Inspirational Student of the Year and Professional and Creative Student of the Year.
Mrs Knight said the awards were unexpected.
“It feels unreal,” she said.
“It feels like I don’t deserve something like this. It’s such a great opportunity, and I never expected it to happen.”
Mrs Knight is attending TAFE to study professional writing and editing.
Before studying writing, Mrs Knight was a passionate baker for 10 years.
Due to a medical operation, she was forced to change career paths and found herself gravitating towards writing.
Mrs Knight was one of five recipients of major institute-wide awards.
More than 50 vocational students and apprentices were celebrated at the 2025 Bendigo TAFE Industry Excellence Awards on Thursday, February 13.
Rochester’s Bethany Knight was named Bendigo TAFE’s Inspirational Student of the Year. Photo: Bill Conroy.
Bendigo TAFE chief executive Sally Curtain said Mrs Knight and Student of the Year Ying (Sunny) Zhao were proof of the power of education.
“Sunny and Bethany’s achievements remind us of the incredible power of education to transform lives,” she said.
“Their dedication, resilience, and passion for their craft are what makes vocational education so vital — not just for them, but for the industries and communities they will shape.”
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