The University of Queensland student Lesley Scanlan is excited about her internship, using sediment cores to reconstruct previous environmental conditions on the Country of the Mithaka mob of far-south-west Queensland.
The project led by UQ academics may also help reveal past Indigenous practices in the region.
Lesley’s own mob is based on the nearby Toowoomba, Dalby and Warra regions, including the Bunya Mountains, and she has close relationships with a wide family group.
Her father, in particular, has an academic interest in Indigenous languages, and has passed on important cultural songs and words of Jarowair as well as other Indigenous languages around Queensland.
As a keen Science student, Lesley is delighted to have secured a generous Arrow Energy ‘Go Further’ Indigenous Tertiary Scholarship, which will support her goal of postgraduate studies and/or research in the environmental management field.
She also gives a shout out to support from the Geoffrey Huey Sattler Indigenous scholarship and the UQ Indigenous Commonwealth Education Scholarship, which have assisted her greatly through the COVID period.
Lesley is proud to be following in the footsteps of her father and older sister, who both studied at UQ.
“Also, when I was competing in athletics meets, my club was the University of Queensland, so I had the desire to go here because of my involvement with their sports clubs,” she said.
“I have a large interest in sports, particularly track and field and rugby. I have represented at national and international levels throughout my schooling and during my time at university.
“I have also played for the Women’s Red Heavies (Rugby Union). In the past two years, I’ve also been involved in the Indigenous Uni Games, playing for UQ’s Goorie Berrimpa group, playing touch football, volleyball, netball and basketball against universities across Australia.”
Lesley praises the “positive interactions, support and feelings of kinship” enabled by UQ’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit (ATSISU).
“When I’m in the ATSISU and around other Indigenous students and staff members, we can yarn for a long time, and you not only feel a great friendship but that you are also part of a collective of Indigenous academics who will have a great impact in their chosen fields.
“ATSISU has helped during COVID and with assistance for internship and scholarship opportunities. I have also been in involved helping with an ATSISU InspireU camp during the semester break in 2021. It was cut short due to COVID, however it was a great opportunity to meet Indigenous high school students who could ask me questions about the university and what it has to offer.”
“My favourite aspects of studying at UQ have been working and interacting with lecturers and tutors who are passionate in their field of interest, especially in my field, Environmental Management. It is largely centred around climate change, so it has been enlightening to have leading academics discuss the challenges to combat climate change and its effects on the environment.”