Celebrating excellence: APodA Academic Prize Winners at La Trobe University
9 Jun 2026
The Australian Podiatry Association (APodA) is proud to celebrate the outstanding achievements of this year's podiatry students at La Trobe University, following the annual School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport Awards Ceremony held in May.
The ceremony featured special guest speaker, CEO of Bayside Health Peninsula and a proud La Trobe podiatry alumna, Jana Gazarek (pictured centre above). From studying podiatry at La Trobe to leading a major health organisation, Jana's career journey was a powerful and inspiring reminder to students of just how far the profession can take them.
This year, academic excellence awards were presented to 55 deserving students across both undergraduate and postgraduate studies.
We are honoured to sponsor three academic prizes across Years One, Two, and Three of the Bachelor of Podiatry (Honours) program, and are thrilled to congratulate this year's exceptional recipients:
- Australian Podiatry Association Award – Year One (2025) Shawn Chee Wai Lim (pictured right)
- Australian Podiatry Association Award – Year Two (2025) Sally Morrison
- Australian Podiatry Association Award – Year Three (2025) Lydia Li Xuan Loh
These awards recognise students who have demonstrated outstanding academic performance in their respective year of study.
Shawn, Sally, and Lydia your dedication, hard work, and commitment to the profession are truly inspiring. You represent the very best of the next generation of podiatrists, and we couldn't be prouder to recognise your achievements.
A huge thank you to La Trobe University and a special shout-out to Shan Bergin for organising a wonderful ceremony that celebrated student achievement and the future of the podiatry profession.
It was a privilege to be part of the occasion alongside so many talented students and their supporters.
We also warmly acknowledge the other award winners who were in attendance, and extend our congratulations to all students recognised on the day. It was wonderful to see so many bright futures celebrated together.
We are grateful to our fellow sponsors for their continued support of podiatry education. A special mention goes to Leah Melville (Podiatrist, Community and Professional Engagement, Bared Footwear) and Jake from Briggate Medical, whose generosity in sponsoring awards helps inspire and reward the next generation of podiatry professionals.
Congratulations again to all award winners! We look forward to seeing where your careers take you and supporting you along the way.
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Supporting students at every stage of their journey is at the heart of what APodA does. Investing in tomorrow's podiatrists means better outcomes for patients and communities across Australia and events like this remind us why that matters.