Eva Burrows 2021 scholarship awarded
Eva Burrows 2021 scholarship awarded
2 February 2022
Major Erica Jones, the 2021 Eva Burrows Leadership Scholarship for Women recipient.
The 2021 Eva Burrows Leadership Scholarship for Women has been awarded to Major Erica Jones.
The scholarship of up to $25,000 for study at Eva Burrows College or another institution is granted to a woman who exhibits General Burrows’ values of leadership and commitment to serving on the frontline. It is awarded to a woman who has undertaken substantial paid or unpaid work in the delivery of the mission of The Salvation Army in the previous two years and is seeking support to develop her leadership capabilities.
“Courage is very important in leadership – courage to follow through on your dream.” – General Eva Burrows
Erica has been in full-time ministry for 17 years, including two years at college, and has held appointments in Western Australia, Victoria, and the Northern Territory. This year she will take up an appointment as SA/NT Youth and Young Adults Secretary, based in Adelaide.
She plans to enrol in a Master of Design (design innovation) (strategic design).
“Strategic planning excites me and is something I am passionate about,” Erica says. “I have watched The Salvation Army start to utilise partnerships with organisations such as Seed and Anecdote and watched as we tackle strategy and strategic direction. I think we are very good at casting a vision, but sometimes I’m not sure we are very good at working out how we are going to get there. To get where we want to go, we cannot be afraid to really understand our current state and really understand who we are and where we are. Innovation means change, experimentation and new ideas combined with strategy to create a pathway to new ways of doing things.”
Education is important to Erica – she says she loves studying and is keen to educate herself to back up her experience with knowledge and best practice. She took a break from study last year to reflect on her next step, which led to her deciding to apply for the scholarship.
“I was heading into a new role I am excited and passionate about, so, combined with my decision to embark on a complementary study direction, I decided it was time to go for it,” she says.
She will use her skills to engage with youth and young people and their creativity.
“By using design innovation and strategic design in my ministry, I hope I will be able to hear the dreams of those I interact with, hear their stories, past experiences and hopes, and be able to use design methods to creating human-centred ministries, services and systems.”