Warrnambool College Year 11 student Trephilia Grant and her mother Bec Clayton hugged each other and burst into tears when Trephy's name was read out at the recent Marrung Education Scholarship Awards ceremony.
The $5,000 scholarships recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students with high potential to succeed in their chosen career paths and support them to complete years 11 and 12.
In a ceremony held at the Melbourne Museum, families, friends, teachers and supporters of the scholarship recipients gathered to celebrate their achievements.
For Trephy, winning one of the scholarships means she gets support to achieve her professional dream – to become a police officer.
'I want to change the system,' she explained, sharing that she is particularly passionate about the way police officers interact with the community.
For another student, Elisabeth Murdoch College's Dean Lang, in Year 11, the scholarship means he is closer to achieving his ambition of becoming a park ranger and educating people about Aboriginal culture.
Among the other recipients, Northcote High School student Mia Ison has her heart set on studying physics or engineering at university, while Tadhg Catalan, in Year 11 at Mornington Secondary College, is interested in studying psychology.
Mia, Tadhg, Trephy and Dean are among 20 Victorian government school students sharing in more than $100,000 in scholarships to support their education.
The scholarship recipients were selected by a panel of representatives from both our department and the Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Incorporated, based on their academic results and involvement with the Koorie community.
Marrung
Since the scholarship program began in 2009, 260 students have been awarded scholarships that helped them pursue a diverse range of pathways, including university, training and being drafted into AFL clubs.
The scholarships form part of Victoria's Education State plan to ensure every Koorie person achieves their potential, succeeds in life and feels strong in their cultural identity.
The Marrung Aboriginal Education Plan 2016-2026 supports improved education outcomes for Koorie Victorians.
The number of Koorie students completing the Victorian Certificate of Education, Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning or VET in Schools Certificate has more than doubled in the past 12 years.
Nominations for the 2023 Marrung Education Scholarships open in Term 3.
Find out more
For more information about our strategy to ensure that all Koorie Victorians achieve their learning aspirations, refer to Marrung.
Updated