Past Indigenous Health Scholarships Program

I aspire to becoming a physiotherapist to assist in supporting the demands for health professions within today’s ageing population.    Following the completion of my studies and accreditation as a physiotherapist, I aim to work within a physiotherapy clinic to gain experience in the workforce, and I intend to later establish my own physiotherapy clinic within the rural community where there is large demand but limited services.

I like that Psychology can be used across a wide range of fields and I would also have to say that coming from my family background I see it benefits in helping so many people, especially those from my community in Broome, WA.

In 2017, I was the Narragunnawalli Indigenous Captain at Merici College, my role was to enhance inclusion, recognition and education at the school for the Indigenous girls.  I worked with the school executive to orgnaise for Aboriginal girls from Wadeye NT, to come to our school for a week and for girls from Merici to go to Lambardina WA for three weeks as a cultural immersion.

I have a number of goals for the next 5 – 10 years, however the first is to complete the Master of Clinical Chiropractic program in 2020.   For six years prior to moving to Mackay, my family and I were living in the Kimberley region of WA.   Four of those years I was police officer working in the remote Aboriginal town of Fitzroy Crossing and the remaining two years I was an automotive lecturer teaching mechanics at the Kununurra TAFE.

The strength and resilience of my community, the Yorta-Yorta nation has been a significant factor in determining the role that I would undertake on country.   I grew up surrounded by strong and proud black women who shaped not only my career but also my path in life.   This has reinforced the need to giving back and contributing to ensure our communities continue to build.

As an Indigenous woman, originally from a small country town of Boggabri, I always had a strong desire to work in the health industry.  Growing up, I was exposed to the health disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous health outcomes.  It really shocked me that those sort of statistics were real and I was passionate to improve these results.

After graduating university as a young Indigenous woman with a Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics (with Honours) and being on the Dean’s Merit List, I felt I needed to be a leader for Indigenous people and those living in rural areas.  To do so, I spoke at an International Dietetic Conference about my journey getting into university, living rurally and being Indigenous.

Medical imaging combines everything that I am passionate about including photography, art, science, physics and helping others.   The opportunity to use advanced equipment in order to take an image of someone and their pathology and using such information to assist in their treatment is truly rewarding.

I am an Esperance Nyungar woman from rural Western Australia enrolled in second year medicine at the university of Notre Dame in Fremantle.   I have always strived to continue improving Aboriginal health and wellbeing and am now lucky to do so through medicine.

Through my work in 2019 as a research officer with UWA working on two Aboriginal health projects related to ageing and the brain, I met many Elders from the Perth Indigenous community who have expressed the need for more Indigenous doctors with more cultural understanding/sensitivity. Many doctors from non-Indigenous backgrounds sometimes lack the knowledge of how an Indigenous family and lifestyle is structured, and do not quite understand the values and needs of an Aboriginal person or community. I would like to contribute to the community by providing safe and supportive care that is culturally appropriate and understanding, whilst also educating other health professionals on how they can be most appropriate as well.