Tanya O'Shea honoured with Women in Business Award

When Tanya O'Shea received the Mayor's Sonja Pressler-McHugh Women in Business Award in recognition of her leadership and community impact, she saw something more: a chance to continue growing.

Named in honour of one of Bundaberg's most respected female businesswomen and leaders, the award includes a professional development bursary to support ongoing learning and community impact.

"It is such an incredible honour to receive an award that carries Sonja's name and recognises the legacy she left in our community," Tanya said.

Tanya hopes the professional development bursary will help her build on that legacy through continued learning and service across regional Queensland.

For Tanya, professional development is about far more than personal growth.

"It's not just about me," she said.

"It's about how that can bring value to others. My organisation, but also my community."

That belief is at the heart of how Tanya hopes to use the bursary. She is exploring areas of study that could create lasting benefits for the people and communities she serves.

Education, she says, is about far more than earning a qualification.

"Learning isn't about the degree at the end. It's about staying curious, challenging yourself and discovering what else is possible," she said.

Tanya began university straight after school, but quickly decided it wasn't for her. Years later, when she returned to study, she discovered a new appreciation for the value of ongoing learning.

That experience reinforced a belief she still holds today: there is no age limit to learning.

"Whether it's a course, training program, diploma or degree, you learn so much about yourself along the way," she said.

She said ongoing study has shaped not only her career, but also how she communicates, balances competing priorities and maintains her wellbeing.

As she considers her next step, Tanya is particularly interested in public health and wellbeing, with a focus on how data and evidence can be used to improve outcomes for different groups within the community.

"Anything health and wellbeing, I love it," she said.

"I love learning about it, I love doing it, and I love having conversations with other people about it."

She hopes to deepen her understanding of what helps people live well and use those insights to support stronger community outcomes.

Whatever she chooses to study next, Tanya hopes it will have a ripple effect, helping create positive outcomes for the people and communities IMPACT supports.

For her, that's the real value of learning: not what it can do for one person, but how it can create lasting benefits for many.