Pursuing a career as a florist

Every week, Chelsea Trindall-Scott of Woy Woy travels to the Sydney flower markets to collect the various flora for her floristry studies.

The 19-year-old aboriginal woman said she loved to demonstrate her cultural heritage through her work by using native foliage and bird feathers.

Ms Trindall-Scott said she had always loved flowers and was determined to be a florist since high school, but completing her Certificate III Floristry was not easy when balancing it against her family commitments, finances, travel and assessments.

Despite the difficulties she faced, the ability to make a difference to someone's day with flowers made it worth it, she said.

Throughout her course, Chelsea tapped into the Aboriginal student support program that enabled her to finish the theoretical elements of her course.

She has since been a part of the Gamarada Aboriginal Education and Training Unit, attending their office regularly and inspiring other students to continue with their studies.

Chelsea is now beginning her Certificate IV Floristry and is looking to do a business course to assist her in staring her own florist shop.

She was educated at Woy Woy Public School and attended Brisbane Water Secondary College where, in year 12, she started to explore what vocation she wanted to pursue and came to the conclusion floristry was her chosen field.

Ms Trindall-Scott said she did not believe she would have completed her studies without the support of an Aboriginal liaison officer who convinced her not to quit and provided tutoring to enable her to successfully complete the course.

"The support helped me mentally because I was struggling and worrying and so close to dropping out but they told me to stay positive and keep working and it was all worth it in the end," she said.

"It was a huge struggle but I had a lot of support from my Nan and uncles who helped me to buy flowers.

"My dream, one day, is to open my own flower shop," she said.

"I find floristry very relaxing and creative at the same time because you can do anything you want with flowers.

"I love working with native flowers because they are hardy and don't bruise like other flowers, like roses and I have been incorporating emu feathers sent to me from a family member in Moree," she said.

SOURCES:

Media release, 31 May 2017

Nina Cameron, Team Lewis

Interview, 7 Jun 2017

Chelsea Trindall-Scott, Woy Woy

Reporter: Jackie Pearson