Nuria to continue legacy of transformation through scholarship
- kirranicolle
- 9 hours ago
- 3 min read
The Eva Burrows Leadership Scholarship for Women is awarded annually to a person who has excelled in advancing The Salvation Army’s mission over the past two years and is seeking support to develop their leadership capabilities. The 2025 scholarship has been awarded to Nuria Gonsalves, the CaLD Community Engagement Lead for The Salvation Army.
Nuria recently gave Salvos Online an insight into the plans she has for the scholarship and what this will mean for her and for the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) community in which she lives, works and does life with in 2026.
Tell us about yourself, and what is your current role?
My name is Nuria Gonsalves, and I currently serve as the National Lead for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) Community Engagement with The Salvation Army Australia. I’ve had the privilege of serving with TSA for over 17 years, and my passion lies in empowering diverse communities to feel seen, valued, and connected.
In my role, I support and coach officers and corps across the country to engage meaningfully with multicultural communities. I lead national initiatives, develop culturally responsive resources, and build strategic partnerships that foster inclusion, faith, and belonging. Coming from a multicultural background myself, I bring both lived experience and professional insight to the work I do, and I count it a blessing to walk alongside emerging leaders as they grow in confidence and faith.
What inspired you to apply for the Eva Burrows Leadership Scholarship?
I have always been inspired by the life and leadership of General Eva Burrows. Her courage, humility, and unwavering heart for people deeply resonates with me. She showed us that true leadership is about service, about lifting others up, especially the vulnerable and overlooked.
What keeps me going is seeing the transformative power of relationships, when someone feels seen, valued, and empowered to lead in their own community. That’s when change happens. This scholarship will allow me to grow so I can continue championing that kind of change across Australia.
I applied for this scholarship because I want to continue that legacy; to invest in my own development so I can more effectively empower others, especially leaders from CaLD backgrounds. My vision is to help build a movement where people of all cultures feel equipped and encouraged to lead with purpose, compassion, and faith.
“This scholarship is not just for me; it’s for every emerging leader who never saw themselves in leadership. I want to help them believe they are called, capable, and created for impact.” - Nuria Gonsalves
What course will you be doing and why?
I will be studying the Graduate Certificate in International and Community Development. This course will deepen my understanding of community development principles and help me apply them through a culturally responsive and faith-driven lens. It aligns strongly with my current work and will strengthen my capacity to support The Salvation Army’s engagement with diverse communities across Australia.
What are you hoping to see as a result of this training?
I hope this training will expand my leadership capacity and enable me to mentor and support the next generation of CaLD leaders more effectively. I also aim to use the learnings to refine and enhance our national engagement strategies, ensuring we continue building communities where everyone feels welcome, included and empowered.
Ultimately, my desire is to help shape a future where cultural diversity is celebrated, where emerging leaders are equipped and encouraged, and where The Salvation Army continues to reflect the heart of Christ in all communities.
