Alyssa Lampton
Indigenous Health Scholarship
Deakin University, VIC
Bachelor of Nursing
Scholarship Awarded 2019
Sponsored by:
Rotary Club of Mareeba
How will I contribute to improving Indigenous health as a qualified medical practitioner or health worker?
Hi, my name is Alyssa Lampton, in regards to how I will contribute to improving Indigenous health as a qualified medical practitioner or health worker, it is the whole reason why I wanted to become a registered nurse. Becoming a registered nurse is the first step towards how I can use my role to give back to my community and other communities. Being an aboriginal woman, I see the health issues that are affecting our culture. I see it in my family, and I see it in the community around me, I want to be able to be that one person that has opened their eyes to how they can help themselves in order to better their health. As I study here at Deakin Institute of Koorie Education being able to fly in and out of home I can use what I learn here and take it back to my hometown and utilise my skills in progressing indigenous health. I may first off work in a mainstream approach health system instead of a more direct approach to Indigenous health but where I come from the hospital that we have in our town can be very stern towards Indigenous people. If I can be, not only the nurse but the person that can change that type of issue, I know I am utilising my role in the way that I want to.
I want to use my degree to contribute in improving Indigenous health, I want to also use my experience being an aboriginal woman by using my culture to my advantage of relating to patients and people of communities. I also want to expand my skills after becoming a registered nurse by going into maternal health if I can input my help in the early stages of life then I hope that it will proceed into adult hood. It can help by building a good rapport with any indigenous patient and family so they see me as a person who can help and wants to give them the best help I can deliver.
I hope before I graduate at Deakin University, I can work within my community more within health care. As I progress with my studies, I can gain more experience and more knowledge to reach my goals of improving indigenous health. It can take one person, one person who can change the outlook of health in Indigenous communities. I want to be that one person who can understand the different communities and what each community are lacking, needing a helping hand for their health. Each community can be different, it’s a matter of learning about the communities you enter when wanting to improve their help. Understand and learn the importance of the community and the importance of individuals in the community. If I can use nursing to either improve individuals or communities than that is what I am willing to do. I want to work along other people who aspire to do the same and bring about change.
Current Progressive Report
I’m very proud to share that my most recent semester at University has been my strongest to date. I exceeded my high standard from semester one (two H1 marks; H1 being 80% or above). This semester I achieved a H1 grade for all four of my subjects. Furthermore, I earned 89% for my Indigenous Peoples unit, which is my highest mark ever achieved at university. My scores for the remaining three subjects ranged between 83% – 84%.
As detailed in my previous letter, I also successfully completed a four-month field placement at Rumbalara Aboriginal Cooperative in Shepparton from May to September 2016. While I enjoyed living in Shepparton, it was a pleasure to return to Melbourne for semester two. I returned to Melbourne with a new confidence in my abilities as a social worker.
This new confidence led to me apply for a part-time role as case manager at the youth organisation, Whitelion. In my role as a “Tiddas Coordinator” I work with young Aboriginal girls in Melbourne to provide support and mentoring to enable these girls to work through crises, build links to drug and alcohol services and maximise positive outcomes from the Criminal Justice System. It is because of the support provided by Rotary that I have been able to limit my work commitments to one day a week, and achieve academically.
The most exciting development of 2016 was being accepted into a cultural exchange with the universities of Northern Arizona and Arizona State University in the USA. This was a dream come true for me. Over the holiday break, I travelled with fellow Aboriginal students and university employees to the States and visited many Indigenous communities – sharing stories, learning traditions and making life-long friends.