“I do shredding, sort mail, filing sometimes, cleaning phones, shopping and collect faxes and distribute it,” she said.

Her sunny disposition, hard work and excellent recall make Ms Coggan an indispensable asset to the Wagga Catholic Diocese Office, her supervisor of 16 years Charmaine Berger said.

“She’s a very cheerful person, she is very helpful and she has a fantastic memory,” Ms Berger said.

“In the time that I have been here her skills with technology have improved enormously.” 

Ms Coggan starting working at the office as a teenager, and has since been able to buy her own apartment in Wagga with her wages.

She is also a role model for those living with a disability in Wagga and the first ever recipient of the Wagga Rotary Club Shine Awards in 2011.

“I was shocked actually to put it one way,” Ms Coggan said.

The annual prize recognises the outstanding work of a Wagga employee with a disability.

Ms Coggan has a brain disability caused by a chemical imbalance before birth, but hasn’t let it stop her from living life to the fullest. 

The 39-year-old said the job has been just as rewarding to her in return, giving her the confidence to go out and make friends.

“I know a lot of people downtown now, and they always say to me ‘hi how was your day?’ and we just have a chat,” Ms Coggan said.

“Every Thursday I’ve got a group that I meet down there at the Marketplace … they always include me even though I’ve got a disability so that’s really nice.” 

Ms Coggan encourages employers and workplaces to nominate those with a disability for the Shine Award.

The Wagga Rotary Shine awards will be open for nominations in early November.