Around 100 students from Central Queensland came together in Mackay last week at the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Foundation (QATSIF) Scholarship Graduation ceremony to celebrate graduating senior.
An incredible 98.24 per cent of QATSIF scholarship students graduated from Year 12 in 2020, compared to 83.1 per cent of all Australian students and only 64.8 per cent of other Queensland First Nations students.
Queensland’s Public Trustee works with the QATSIF Board of Advice to invest and distribute scholarship funds.
The CEO of the Public Trustee Samay Zhouand said QATSIF is helping 266 Mackay students through senior this year by providing them with scholarships so they can continue their studies in Years 11 and 12.
“QATSIF has been running for nearly 14 years now, and the Public Trustee is proud to be associated with its amazing work,” he said.
“Of 2,000 QATSIF scholarship students across the state, there are 202 in leadership roles this year, including 22 school captains and 10 Vice Captains – a great achievement.
“Of the highest achieving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in Queensland, five of the seven named are QATSIF scholarship students.
“It’s clear the Foundation is making a massive difference to outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students,” he said.
QATSIF’s Secretariat Director Michael Nayler said more than $2.4 million was distributed through QATSIF in 2021-22, leading to great results for the students involved.
“Five of the last seven 7 News’ Young Indigenous Achiever Awards were awarded to QATSIF students – including two overall Queensland winners,” Mr Nayler said.
“And 18 of the 22 students named in the Peter Doherty Outstanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander STEM awards have also been QATSIF scholarship students,” he said.
Students who graduated in 2020 have gone on do well, with 87.3 per cent in employment, education and training last year, compared to 80.5 per cent of all Queensland students and 61.5 per cent of other First Nations students.
L-R: Andrew Wilcox – Federal Member for Dawson, Lainey Wilson - Senior Cultural Captain of Mirani State High School, and Samay Zhouand, CEO of the Public Trustee, Queensland. Images supplied
Students who attended the QATSIF Scholarship Graduation ceremony
Samay Zhouand and Juliette Gilbert – Member for Mackay