IDHA Alumna Emily Ragus Receives Prestigious Sir John Monash Scholarship
December 22, New York — The Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs is proud to announce that Emily Ragus, Alumna, and Tutor for the International Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance, is a recipient of the prestigious Sir John Monash Scholarship, awarding her $210,00 to complete a Ph.D. in gender and disasters.
The Sir John Monash Scholarship is awarded annually to outstanding Australian graduates to support their postgraduate study. Successful applicants have demonstrated excellence in their field, leadership potential, and a vision for how they can contribute to a better Australia.
Brendan Cahill, Executive Director of the International Institute of Humanitarian Affairs, Fordham University, highlights “This is a great — and deserved — honor. It was obvious, from Emily’s questions to her presentations, throughout the course, that Emily was a star, so much so that I asked her to return as a Tutor for our next course. It’s not just her intelligence, however, that is so winning. She combines a great well of empathy with an incredible spark of life. She is a worthy recipient of the Sir John Monash Scholarship, and a wonderful humanitarian global ambassador.”
Emily’s early life sparked her tenacious pursuit of education and opportunities to serve others. It was growing up in a single-parent family in Australia that Emily notes, “[as] a grandchild of refugees with limited English, I realized that education was the only option out of the cycle of poverty that I had been placed into by circumstance. This pushed me to be the first university-educated member of my family, embarking on a career to improve the health of those within my community as a Nurse.”
From an Emergency Nurse to a Helicopter Trauma Retrievalist, and, finally, as a Health Delegate for the International Committee of the Red Cross, she recalls her career reaching a “pinnacle moment” when awarded the Winston Churchill Fellowship in 2018 for Disaster Management and Aeromedical Retrieval. This fellowship allowed her to travel across Europe and engage with different UN agencies, including United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) and World Health Organization (WHO), and to the United States to join the International Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance (IDHA) at Fordham University.
While Emily heard of the IDHA program years before joining, “the idea of going to NYC from Australia to study for a month seemed so unrealistic.” A pivotal moment that led to her study in the IDHA was being involved in a mass casualty incident in Vanuatu. She was part of the team to medically air ambulance patients back to Australia. “This situation was so difficult as I witnessed first-hand health inequalities, a memory that I now have to live with. My experience pushed me to apply for the Winston Churchill fellowship. This award gave me the opportunity to pursue education around disaster management in the context of humanitarian crises, with the IDHA being a natural choice. The sole focus of the IDHA is to instill the concepts and ideas about humanitarian aid into students, so they walk away as better humanitarians.”
When asked about her time at the IDHA, she notes, “it is one of the few opportunities in life, where you meet and collaborate with like-minded people but whose background is completely different to your own, learning about the world from a lens. My favorite quote [from the program] was actually from a fellow student who was from Iraq. When I asked her if she wished she were born a man, she simply said ‘no, men think in black and white, while women think in colour.’ For me this was a powerful description of why we should celebrate diversity in all aspects of life. As a woman working in traditionally male dominated health sectors, I frequently consider the impact and importance of ‘workplace diversity.’ I believe that attempting to solve complex health problems in unstable situations with a lack of diversity, means that only one voice of a community is heard.”
From the IDHA, Emily wanted to research the intersection of gender and disaster further, thus, applying for the 2021 Sir John Monash Scholarship.
“Completing the IDHA was a realization that I have been offered so much privilege in my life, regardless of the personal disadvantage that I had experienced. My background did give me an empathetic understanding of how inequalities can alter people’s life course, and I wanted to be part of the change that will eliminate the cycle of poverty. I knew that to be the best candidate, I had to do more, so I completed humanitarian and disaster courses, took Spanish classes and enrolled in my masters. I worked incredibly hard to try and give the most that I could to the people I now have the privilege of working with.”
What inspires Emily the most about the John Monash Scholarship is how “it pushes future leaders into the direction in which they are destined but may not ever normally have had the opportunity. This opportunity will not only cultivate my leadership skill, but it will also allow me to stand alongside a collective cohort of eclectic and innovative minds who are working towards a better future.” Ultimately, Emily wants to create a workable solution to some of the problems that communities are facing. “As a nurse I am a very practical person, and I want to see tangible change and empowerment for communities that do not have equality.”
When asked what advice she would give to her younger self right before she began her journey in humanitarian aid, she notes: “persistence in your professional life is the key to anything, work hard and then harder again and you will eventually find your way to where you want to be. Patience, on the other hand, is the key to your personal life. Try to take a deep breath and listen to what you ultimately want from the situation that you are in, as it often isn’t the reaction that you are feeling.”
As Emily proceeds through her work, she carries with her words “from a close friend who strives for a contented life.” Her friend explained, “that the life choices you regret, have paved the way into making you the person that you are today. Every little mistake is really an opportunity. From this, I have learned that ultimately you will never please everyone, so please the one person that counts, the person who should be your best friend, yourself.”
In closing, Emily reflects on the year: “For me, 2020 was a rollercoaster of a year, I not only landed my dream job, and now this scholarship, but I also lost my mother after a long and difficult battle with cancer. This was a pertinent reminder that life has seasons; when you are in the depth of winter, you need to be reminded that soon it will be spring, with new beginnings and the start of a new journey. So live your life to be happy, and find that happiness in any way you can in the season that you are currently in.”
About the IIHA
The Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs (IIHA) prepares current and future aid workers with the knowledge and skills needed to respond effectively in times of humanitarian crisis and disaster. Our courses are borne of an interdisciplinary curriculum that combines academic theory with the practical experience of seasoned humanitarian professionals. The IIHA also publishes on a wide range of humanitarian topics and regularly hosts a number of events in the New York area, including the annual Humanitarian Design for Humanity Summit.
For more information or media inquiries, please contact: Camille Giacovas, Communications & Research Officer, cgiacovas@fordham.edu
