Indigenous scholarship winners embrace opportunities

Nine Indigenous students from Kwinana’s Gilmore College have been awarded scholarships as part of a program supported by Alcoa’s Kwinana Refinery.

The scholarships, totalling $15,000, were awarded to students in years 7 to 12 under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student Excellence Scholarship Program to assist with their ongoing education at Gilmore College.

In its second year, the program is designed to help students and their families with the costs of curricular and extra-curricular activities through the school year.

As part of the program, successful scholarship recipients have the opportunity to learn about employment and educational opportunities available at Alcoa and in the broader resources sector, equipping them to join the workforce when they complete secondary school.

Kwinana Alumina Refinery Manager David Feast said Alcoa was proud to once again offer the scholarships after the success of the inaugural program in 2022.

“These scholarships make a real difference by making education more affordable, so more students complete their schooling and aspire to achieve their academic goals,” he said.

“As well as providing financial assistance, the program provides workshops to help students prepare for the workforce and they visit our refinery to see first-hand the different professions in the alumina industry.”

Scholarship winners for 2023 included:

• William Howell, Year 7
• Cai Gleadall, Year 7
• Rachel Russell, Year 8
• Amber Farmer, Year 10
• Elyshia Jeffs, Year 10
• Shelby Brookes, Year 11
• Daniel Russell, Year 11
• Taj Bennell, Year 12
• Tsharntai Baker, Year 12