We caught up with three Indigenous health teachers from the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work to hear about their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander connections, and the support UQ offers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students during their studies.
Erikka Dunning
Tell us a bit about yourself, your background, and how long you have been at UQ
My name is Erikka Dunning, I am a Mununjali woman and I graduated from UQ with a Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) with a minor in Mental Health. Before coming to UQ I did not have a high enough OP to get into university so I completed a Diploma of Youth Work as a pathway to do further studies.
Since graduating I have worked in acute mental health wards as an Independent Patient Rights Adviser and I currently work in the policy industry with a focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.
I have been working for UQ since 2017 in various roles, and have been a tutor for the Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people course since it started in 2018.
What should Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students know about the support offered in their studies at UQ?
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies unit is particularly welcoming and supportive. The Goorie Berrimpa Student Collective also facilitates a great community on campus with lots of opportunities to socialise and meet new people.
The University as a whole is welcoming, with events such as NAIDOC Festival, and the ITAR Program, which supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students throughout their studies.
Karina Maxwell
Tell us a bit about you, your background, and how long you have been at UQ
I graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work in 2007, and started working during my final year of study as a research assistant developing the Listening with Respect resource. While I was studying, I also tutored Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
I’ve worked in various organisations since graduating, before coming back to UQ in 2018 to tutor classes in the Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People course for social workers, midwives and nurses.
In 2019, I was promoted to co-convener of the course and continued tutoring classes. I am also the secretary for the Social Work Alumni Committee.
How does UQ support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students with their studies?
I studied from 2004 to 2007 at UQ. During this time, I received a Rotary club scholarship, Zonta Bursary (two years in a row) and completed a cadetship with child safety. To earn a living, I also tutored other students.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Unit was very supportive. I made a lot of good friends there. In 2006 and 2007, I was the President of Goorie Berrimpa Student Collective, and organised the National Indigenous Games UQ team in Brisbane, then Wollongong the following year.
I have just been asked to join in the first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students UQ alumni get together in October.
What’s a UQ Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander student story that’s stuck with you?
One of the Aboriginal Social Work students I supported and tutored through the ITAR program is doing really well. He is a Noongar man, who is a strong advocate in the protection of Aboriginal children in Western Australia and works for Family Matters. He does a lot of work with SNAICC, The Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care. I feel like a proud parent when I see his accomplishments and his passion for his work.
Kate Thompson
Can you tell us a bit about you, your background, and how long you have been at UQ?
I am a proud Gurang Gurang woman from Bundaberg. I moved to Brisbane in 2014 to commence a Bachelor of Social Work at UQ. In December 2017 I graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work (Honours). In 2018 and 2019 I tutored the course, Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to nursing, midwifery and social work students.
What should Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students know about the support offered in their studies at UQ?
UQ provides several programs and support services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to assist with their studies, such as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student Tutorial Assistance and Retention Program.
The Young Achievers Program and bursary were integral for me to attend UQ, as this bursary provided me with the funds to assist with moving away from home.
What opportunities are there for students to do placements?
UQ’s School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work are supportive of students completing a practical placement internationally. I completed my final placement of social work (500 hours) in Nepal with the International Child Resource Institute – Nepal.
