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38 | THE KOORI MAIL ADVERTISING FEATURE, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2020 www.koorimail.com CRICOS registered provider: 00004G Study in a place that feels like home. YALBALINGA Yalbalinga is our Indigenous Higher Education Unit. We provide a welcoming and culturally safe space for students to study in an environment that promotes positive Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identity. HOW WE SUPPORT YOU Yalbalinga provides: • academic and administrative support • social, cultural and personal support • access to computers and study facilities • a visible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural presence • study assistance • information about scholarships. COURSES OFFERED Courses in: • education and arts • health sciences • law and business • theology and philosophy • pathways. SCHOLARSHIPS We offer specific Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander scholarships and a range of other scholarships that you may be eligible for. CONTACT Yalbalinga Indigenous Higher Education Unit Email: [email protected] Phone: 02 9701 4258 ACU invites Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to study at our new Blacktown Campus. acu.edu.au/blacktown By DAMIEN STANNARD D iving into tertiary study as they harnessed the power of their kinship was all it took for mother and daughter duo Leah and Lauran Ingram to realise their potential. The Wiradjuri women are revelling in new opportunities and connections after completing Bachelor of Education degrees via Australian Catholic University’s (ACU’s) Away From Base (AFB) Program. For Leah, the journey was especially rewarding after being introduced to the program by her son, Michael, who graduated at ACU with a Bachelor of Education Primary (Indigenous Studies). “I decided that if I wanted to enact change, I couldn’t just sit and wait. I had to be pro-active,” she said. “Being able to take this journey with my daughter was truly amazing.” Where the Darkinjung Nation meets Guringai and Awabakal Nations by the shores of Awaba (Lake Macquarie) on the northern Central Coast, both mother and daughter were motivated to learn, but had their own reasons to be daunted by higher education. Leah worked in various education roles for almost two decades, however it had been a long time since she had studied, and her fear that ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’ held her back. Lauren also worked in schools yet had not completed her Year 12 certificate and believed a tertiary degree was out of her reach. Further enquiries revealed ACU’s national AFB program, involving a balance of online learning and intensive residential blocks, would provide the support they needed to reach their goals. “It was all very overwhelming at the beginning, however doing it through ACU’s [AFB] program made it that much easier. Being surrounded by mob from all over the country coming together to walk this journey together was truly empowering,” Lauren said. Leah’s experience in the education system left her frustrated and craving more First Nations perspectives and role models. Having initiated change in her own life she can now be that role model for her family and peers. “I was so lucky to be grouped with my daughter and the most amazing, inspirational, clever and funny cohort,” Leah said. “Being surrounded by Blakfellas cut out all of the elitism. “We were just a bunch of brothers, sisters, aunties and uncles trying to pave the way for our people and provide direction and inspiration to our young ones growing up. We cried with each other, we laughed with each other and we were always there to help each other.” Leah and Lauren thrived at ACU. Lauren left behind her job as a learning support officer and is now teaching at a primary school on the Central Coast. Leah was awarded the Executive Dean Commendation in each of her four years of study and was also awarded the John F. Slowly Memorial Scholarship. “The AFB program was hard at times but being able to continue working whilst studying offered great advantages as far as financial support for my family,” Leah said. “I have a great sense of pride that I was able to reach such a milestone at my age. “For my wellbeing I am slowly starting to believe that I can do this.” Mother and daughter duo unlock the power of learning at ACU Mother and daughter duo Leah and Lauran Ingram undertook their learning journey together at ACU. higher education feature 2021
