Meet the recipients of ETC’s First Nations Scholarships

Maleah, an inspiring woman living in Meeanjin (Brisbane) – the place of the blue water lilies, is one deserving recipient of this scholarship.

Maleah is working towards becoming a paediatric surgeon, joining only a handful of others in Australia to specialise in the field. She has already completed a Bachelor of Biomedical Science and a Master of Public Health at Griffith University, and is now a first-year Doctor of Medicine student at the University of Queensland.

“I am a financially independent student with minimal support. It is incredibly exhausting studying medicine and having to work to ensure my basic living expenses are paid when a lot of my peers do not,” said Maleah.

“Despite my personal circumstances, I feel incredibly privileged to have the opportunity to study medicine. This scholarship will provide financial support that will allow me to focus my energy on my studies, knowing I don’t have to extend myself beyond my limits to work additional hours across multiple jobs to support myself. It will truly be invaluable.”

Jean, our next recipient, is studying for her Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies at the University of Queensland in Meeanjin (Brisbane). 

She hopes to take her studies into the field, cataloguing Aboriginal artifacts and returning them to their place of origin, an important and culturally significant task for First Nations peoples. Jean has already been offered a position in the Master’s Program Museum Studies starting next year. She is well on her way to achieving her goals but is facing financial hardships.

“At the moment, I am living on Abstudy and rent assistance, and I can only work part-time due to the academic load. With inflating rental prices in the city and very limited assistance available from Aboriginal scholarships, I’ve been unable to purchase study essentials like a new laptop and books,” said Jean.

Despite these difficulties, Jean is determined and passionate about the completion of her studies.

“I hope to use my qualifications for the benefit of Aboriginal communities broadly – there is great need for Indigenous people to work in the Museum space given the issues around repatriation and truth telling.”

Last but not least, our final recipient is Kurtis, a young man living in Biripi Country on the Mid North Coast, who has been traversing his schooling career through displacement from the bushfires and floods that have hit the region.

Kurtis hasn’t let tough times get him down and is working hard toward his goal of becoming a teacher. He is currently completing a School Based Traineeship at Wauchope Public School, and planning to enrol into a Bachelor of Education once completed. 

“Using the First Nations Scholarship, I will be able to purchase a laptop of my own, and the required textbooks for school and TAFE to allow me to continue and complete my studies,” said Kurtis. 

There is a shortage of Teachers in Australia, and even more so of First Nations teachers, and Kurtis is passionate about bringing indigenous representation into our schools.