News Archive

UWA students continue to provide leadership for young people in so many areas of the community.

Arts/law student and Whadjuk-Ballardong community member Dylan Collard was recently named 2013 NAIDOC Perth Male Youth of the Year.

The Perth Awards run by NAIDOC (named after the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee) recognise outstanding achievements by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, organisations and businesses during NAIDOC Week, celebrated last month.

Dylan was recognised for his community work, studies and reconciliation movement activities.

He began studying at UWA in 2010 after exploring tertiary study options at the annual Future Footprints Expo for Indigenous high school students.

Dylan was active in the WA Student Aboriginal Corporation, gained an internship at a major law firm and was recently elected ‘Prime Minister' at the National Indigenous Youth Parliament.

He also co-founded ‘iAmtheOther', a student-run organisation that aims to bridge the social divide between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous people through promoting meaningful conversations and building mutually respectful relationships.

More than 200 Indigenous high school students from regional and remote WA met Dylan last month and shared his experiences at this year's Future Footprints Expo at the UWA Business School, where he sought to inspire others to follow in his footsteps.

The visiting students, from independent boarding schools, attended the Woodside-sponsored event to learn more about study and work opportunities at universities, TAFE colleges, government departments and major companies.

Dean of the Business School, Winthrop Professor Phil Dolan, said UWA was committed to encouraging and supporting students from diverse backgrounds, and offered a big range of scholarships and programs to help them benefit from a university education.