Mount Isa-born Wuluwarra and Pitta Pitta scholar paves way for future Indigenous students

Whilst hard work, Ms Bartley is encouraging her fellow First Nations people to take advantage of the Indigenous support programs universities offer and give tertiary education a go.

"Studying is rewarding but it is hard work," she said.

"I am grateful and humbled to have the opportunity to study at a tertiary level as my elders did not have this opportunity, but they paved the way for our younger generation to do so.

"Even for the small time I have been involved in academia, I can see the value we bring and how we are changing the dynamic of tertiary institutions from solely a western view to incorporating other knowledge systems and values."

Ms Bartley currently works in the public service and earned her most recent qualification in 2022 when she graduated from Australian National University (ANU) with a Master of Public Policy.

Soon, she will jet off to the UK for her next adventure at Oxford University to complete a Masters in Migration Studies, after having taken part in two overseas study tours organised through Indigenous educational pathways organisation, the Aurora Foundation, something she credits for changing her life.

It hasn't always been smooth sailing for Ms Bartley, however. An unstable home life growing up almost left her in the wilderness.

"Growing up in a regional town and in a family that has significant generational challenges, university was not a realistic option for most of us after high school," Ms Bartley said.

"During high school my home life was unstable and I struggled to stay at school," she said.

"As a result I did not graduate year 12 and I wasn't allowed at the graduation because I missed so much school."

Ms Bartley's struggle isn't unique.

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data from 2021 shows 56.7 per cent of of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 20 to 24 years had completed Year 12 or equivalent, down from 63.2 per cent in 2016, according to the latest Closing the Gap report.

ABS data from 2021 also revealed 78.7 per cent of all Australians, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, aged 20 to 24 years had attained their Year 12 equivalency.

"It was heartbreaking not being able to share that moment with friends I had grown up with and with my brother who was in the same grade," Ms Bartley said.

Life threw another curve ball when Ms Bartley became a mother in her late-teens, forcing her to turn down jobs with the air force and the mines.

"As you can imagine, I was scared and unsure of the future," she said.

"I was couch surfing at the time and all I owned was a suitcase but I chose to fight for my child and give them a life of opportunity.

"Since that moment, my son has been the catalyst for all I have achieved in my life."

Ms Bartley encouraged her fellow First Nations people to take up the challenge of university study.

"I think if you asked me five years ago if I would go to university, it would have been a hard no, I never saw university as a part of my future, and now here I am," she said.

"Apply for the degree, apply for the scholarship.

"You've earned it and you will make your way, and pave the way for others.

While studying at a tertiary level may be challenging, she said to see what assistance universities offer for Indigenous students and to take advantage of it.

"It is important to make sure that the university you attend has the supports and networks you might need.

"See if they have an Indigenous centre, do they have Indigenous student support, are their social groups that you will join, does the university have a focus on your field of study, and do they have pathways in that field.