How Melbourne is supporting this indigenous student’s dreams of giving back

“I’ve got a whole life plan,” laughs Brittney. “Once I complete my Bachelor of Science majoring in Physiology, I want to complete the Master of Public Health and Doctor of Medicine at Melbourne. I’d like to move on to specialise in paediatric medicine.

"Then, I want to go back home and motivate other people to go to university.”

Brittney’s road to Melbourne

Brittney’s path to university began when she joined the Polly Farmer Foundation’s Follow the Dream program, which offers personalised support to Indigenous high school students.

“I’m the first person in my family to graduate from high school,’ she explains. “I didn’t really have any role models who could tell me about university. The Follow the Dream program was the only way that I found out about the possibility of going to university.”

While still in school, Brittney became a program mentor for other students. It was a decision that soon came to define Brittney’s approach to education and personal development: helping others reach their individual goals while setting out to achieve her own.

Small steps with a big impact

Brittney attended her first academic school camps outside of Western Australia, the CSIRO’s, Aboriginal Summer School for Excellence in Technology and Science (ASSETS). This was an experience that saw her jump at the chance to attend several camps on campus at the University of Melbourne too.

“I loved the experience at ASSETS. It opened my eyes to the idea of moving and going to uni,” recalls Brittney.

“I started mentoring on camps because when I was in high school I felt those people were super cool. They were the people that I looked up to and thought – wow that’s what a uni student is like. I wanted to give back and be that person for other people.”

Brittney has now mentored for the Victorian Indigenous Engineering Winter School, the Residential Indigenous Science Experience (RISE) and the Melbourne Experience Camp, an interstate open day run through Murrup Barak.

Building lasting connections

Brittney hasn’t had to wait long to feel the impact that she is making on the University community. As a mentor for first year students through Murrup Barak, she is already watching her mentees grow.

“I had a little group of seven mentees. I met with them every fortnight for coffee. I would hang out with them and check if they were okay. We had study nights together, went out for dinner. They were kind of my group to look after for the year. I recently found out that one of them has joined the program as a mentor now too. She said I was the one who inspired her, which is very sweet.”