2019 Charlie perkins scholarship recipientsThe Charlie Perkins Scholarship Trust is pleased to announce the 2019 recipients of the Charlie Perkins Scholarships. This year's Scholars are Nina Cass, Kasarina Mann, and Minette Salmon.
On Tuesday, 30 July 2019, British High Commissioner to Australia, Vicki Treadell, presented three Indigenous Australians with scholarships to pursue postgraduate study at Oxford and Cambridge. The Scholarships are designed to support Indigenous Australians who have the potential to become leaders in their field of study and in their communities, and are awarded on the basis of academic merit. This year's Scholarships are jointly supported by the Australian Government, the British Government through the Chevening program, the Cambridge Commonwealth, European & International Trust and Cambridge Australia Scholarships. Nina Cass has been accepted into a PhD in Education at Cambridge. Nina is a Wiradjuri woman who grew up on Birpai Country in Wauchope NSW. She graduated from the University of Western Sydney in 2011 with a Bachelor of Social Science majoring in Humanitarian and Peace Studies. Nina has also completed a Master of Education at Deakin University, examining the implications of racism when seeking rental accommodation, and she recently graduated with a Master of Arts (Politics and International Studies) from the University of New England. In her last role, Nina was the Indigenous Student Liaison Officer at Charles Sturt University. Her research at Cambridge will focus on ways to increase the retention and completion of Indigenous students in higher education. Nina has an interest in Indigenous leadership and was recently honour with a woman in leadership award from the National Aboriginal and Islanders Day of Observance Committee. Kasarina Mann, a proud Aboriginal woman of Mbarbarum, Kuku Yalanji, Yidinji and Gugu Yimidthirr descent, will undertake a MSc in Clinical Embryology at Jesus College, Oxford. She completed her Bachelor of Health Sciences (Psychology) at the University of Sydney and was the recipient there of the Dr Charles Perkins AO Memorial Prize. Kasarina aspires to bring the knowledge and skills gained overseas back home and support rural communities in Cape York. Minette Salmon, a Yuin woman, will undertake a DPhil in Genomic Medicine and Statistics at Balliol College, Oxford. She graduated with a Master of Biological Sciences (Advanced) with First Class Honours from the Australian National University in 2017. Prior to this, Minette completed a Bachelor of Science (Physics & Chemistry) at the Australian Defence Force Academy where she was awarded both academic and military commendations. In addition to a Charlie Perkins Cambridge Scholarship, Minette has also been awarded a Wellcome Trust and Clarendon studentship for her DPhil at Oxford. All three recipients were participants on the Aurora Indigenous Scholars International Study Tour, which provides high achieving Indigenous students the opportunity to gain insight into the experience of undertaking postgraduate study at premier institutions abroad and generates a natural pipeline of potential scholarship applicants. Vicki Treadell tweeted about the ceremony here. |