TWENTY-four-year-old Phoebe Cougle was born in Wodonga and has lived in both Woolshed and Beechworth her entire life.

What do you do workwise?

I work at the Yackandandah Star Hotel bartending/serving and am also on placement at Gateway Health Wangaratta with the Mental Health and Wellbeing Connect Centre. Gateway Health is based in three locations – Wangaratta, Myrtleford and Wodonga and provides community health and wellbeing services to individuals, families and communities across North East Victoria and parts of southern New South Wales.

What do you love about your work?

I love bartending because you meet so many new people and it’s an exciting, fast paced work environment plus we have a lot of amazing musicians come and play.

I love my placement because I feel part of something that’s genuinely really helping people and their families.

I’m learning a lot to help my studies and have found out just how amazing Gateway and their services are.

I’ve had an interest in mental health for a long time and am studying a Certificate IV in Mental Health at GOTAFE in Wangaratta.

What do you do in the community?

I don’t currently have a lot of free time to volunteer unfortunately, but if I did, I would love to get out there with some youth support groups and learn from the next generation.

Is there an important community issue that you think needs addressing?

The lack of youth activities and programs within Beechworth.

What would you do to solve change, improve that situation?

I think we need to re-evaluate what money goes towards in our beautiful town.

I think we need to step up for the youth and take our focus away from the pubs and bike tracks for a minute - the local pool could be updated, the skatepark too and I think there is great opportunity to run more youth-based programs that are actually catered to what kids and teens want to do as well.

What do you see as one of the most important current world issues?

The spike in violence against woman and domestic violence happening right now, including across Australia, and the men who are committing these acts need to be held accountable.

There needs to be more awareness and education on the matter.

If the person you would most like to meet or knew, came to indigo shire (past or present), or was already here, who would that be, what would you show them, and why?

Honestly that person is my partner - showing him all the beautiful places around Beechworth is always so nice.

Going for picnics at Woolshed Falls in the Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park (around 10 minutes out of Beechworth) is our favourite place.

What book are you reading?

I am currently reading ‘A Court of Thrones and Roses’ in a series by American author Sarah J. Maas.

It is a sci-fi/ fantasy book that follows a 19-year-old girl named Feyre and her journey.

The author has written several books and has sold more than 38 million copies with her work translated into 38 languages.