Ms Henderson, 22, was this month named the winner of the Volunteer Excellence Award at Victoria's Young Achiever Awards.

"I volunteer with the interchange program that Pinarc Disability Support offers," she said. "I volunteer with two young girls, they either come to visit me, or I go to their house and I look after them and provide their family with respite.

"I work with the girls as well, who I met through Pinarc and found I had a really good attachment with them."

Since the creation of the Young Achiever Awards in 2014, it has applauded the leadership, vision, excellence and commitment of young people, while highlighting their efforts and success.

The purpose of the Young Achiever Awards is to acknowledge, encourage and most importantly promote the positive achievements of all young people up to and including 29 years of age.

Ms Henderson said she was shocked just to be nominated.

"Pinarc nominated me, it was definitely a shock, I didn't expect it at all. I definitely don't do what I do for awards, but it's nice to be recognised - it's very rewarding."

Ms Henderson wasn't the only local recognised at the awards.

Delacombe's Rheannon Theologous-Owen was named a finalist in the First National Real Estate Leadership Award for her work as a health promotion officer at Hepburn Health Service.

Ms Theologous-Owen coordinated and delivered a youth mental well being program called The Cook, The Chef and Us to students at Daylesford Secondary College deemed at risk of disengaging from education.

She designed the weekly program which involves removing the students from traditional classroom once a week during school hours to learn skills in the hospitality industry.

As a result, 82 per cent of students showed greater participation in learning inside the classroom.

Have you signed up to The Courier's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in Ballarat.