Current Funding

I am a proud Kija woman from the East Kimberly. I was raised in Kununurra, a town situated on Miriuwung Gajerrong country, a town which I consider my home and the local people my family. I completed my primary education at the renamed, East Kimberly College and attended boarding school at Iona Presentation College, in Mosman Park. It was from this adjustment in location, that I truly understood how my culturally rich upbringing had influenced my perspective on social norms and idea of community.

2022 will be the beginning of my post graduate education in medicine and y the start of 2026 I will be a fully qualified Doctor. Four years is a lot of time for experiences and opportunities to occur in, so, while I have ideas of where I would like to apply myself, I am still staying open to what the future may bring.

I have worked in Indigenous health for three years and throughout this time have known that my career will be in this area. During this time, I have dedicated myself to making positive changes in Indigenous health. I volunteer as a member of a national youth health and wellbeing committee which is completely Indigenous youth led, as one of two WA representatives. I work for an Aboriginal health organisation promoting and implementing an Aboriginal youth health strategy with the aim to improve health outcomes for Indigenous young people. I have worked with Aboriginal Medical Services across the state and have met many inspiring Indigenous people working in health, including doctors and medical students.

I am an Indigenous woman, with 4 children. I have experienced or seen first-hand the barriers and difficulties Indigenous people face when accessing healthcare. I am a registered nurse and chose to become a doctor as I feel I will have greater influence in making real change, towards closing the gap that indigenous Australians currently experience, my people.

As a graduate Registered Nurse, I will play a vital role in educating and providing health to the community through clinically appropriate care that is culturally safe, high quality, responsive and accessible for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Currently working as a dentist in the public health sector in the Northern Territory I am excited to pursue higher education through James Cook University as I endeavour to contribute to positive change and equitable health for people in communities like those in which I am fortunate enough to practice.

On completing my degree in Bachelor of Psychological Science, I will be in a better position to make a positive contribution to the Indigenous community as a qualified professional, but also being a professional recognised and accredited health professional. As a qualified Indigenous Psychologist, I can make unique contribution in that being an Aboriginal person, I am able to understand the same issues from an Indigenous perspective to be able to work in a culturally appropriate and sensitive manner and have the ability to deal with complex Indigenous health related issues.

Coming from a largely populated region of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with chronic health conditions and a 10-year gap of life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. I have always been passionate about working in the health field and found that nursing was for me. I have experienced this firsthand wit my immediate family members suffering from diabetes, obesity, heart and lung disease just to name a few. I believe being a nurse will fulfill my career and life goals by helping make a difference within my community – Torres Strait Islanders. A nurse’s beliefs and values should be focused on being honest by showing integrity, being compassionate and being empathetic just to name a few that I think are crucial in nursing care. Being Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander growing up on Thursday Island in the Torres Straits has played a very important part in my life and will play a big part in my nursing career.

I am a proud Ngiyampaa Wangaaypuwan man from Cobar, NSW. I grew up in the regional town of Toowoomba and have always had strong connection to Indigenous and rural health care, through the Carbal Medical Centre. I particularly gained an understanding of the rural environment through my school, which had an emphasis on boarding students from isolated rural communities, many of whom were my friends.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People experience the greatest health disparity of any race in Australia. This can be traced back to colonisation and the creation of assimilation and protectionism policies and programs that were introduced with the goal of the eradication of First Nations People. Being displaced, forcibly removed, relocated, and denied access to Country, lore, identity, family, and community by settlers continues to have ongoing effects on the social and cultural determinants of health for First Nations People. Evidence shows that understanding and addressing the cultural and social determinants of health are imperative to improving health outcomes for First Nations People.