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Date: 18 May 2006 Location: Hervey Bay (from the Fraser Coast Chronicle) Counsellor shaping up as national hero - By Toni McRae "NEVER walk past someone in the street who doesn't stand up to your standards; smile at them instead. You might save a life." That's the gritty message from Hervey Bay's Queenslander of the Year nominee Elizabeth Benson-Stott, 33, who is shaping up to become a national hero. Ms Benson-Stott works, educates and trains in suicide prevention and intervention, mental health, business management and leadership. She has qualifications and holds regional, state and national positions in the fields of counselling, psychology and health that run to five pages. Until a week ago she didnt have a clue she'd been nominated for the prestigious award and said yesterday, "I'm astounded. I have no idea who nominated me." Elizabeth Benson-Stott, who was already working in th suicide prevention when she lost her younger sister to suicide, will find out tomorrow if she is a finalist in the award. If she is, she could well be named Queenslander of the Year on June 4. Maryborough-born and Murgon farm-raised, Ms Benson-Stott was called a "nerd" at school where she already demonstrated a passion for helping others. She won scholarships all over. She still does. The latest is a Master of Science in Medicine (Pain Managament) through Sydney University. In 2004 Ms Benson-Stott won the National Suicide Prevention Australia Award and has been nominated or won more than 30 awards since 1985. At the Aggregate Corporation in Main Street, that offers psychological business services, she and her husband James counsel those running the gamut from what society sometimes unkindly terms "dropkicks", to children at risk, to domestic violence victims, to potential suiciders and those wanting guidence in becoming better leaders. "I belive one of the problems in Hervey Bay is that we have a very transient population where people often come here with hopes and dreams that don't come to pass," she said. "I believe if you are prepared to connect with someone you can help them. "Try to see the value in each person rather than just look at their exterior." <end> For more information on this topic visit: Fraser Coast Chronicle 
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