Jorja Wem is a proud young Wakka Wakka and Wulli Wulli women, living and working on the beautiful lands of the Bailai, the Gurang, the Gororeng Gooreng and the taribelang Bunda people. Jorja has been a part of our Indigenous Scholarships Program (ISP) since 2022. She has recently graduated her Bachelor of Environmental Science, such a great achievement at such a young age!
Jorja and her ISP mentor, Taryn, have created a close bond over her the course of her studies. Taryn spoke on Jorja’s hard work and perseverance in the program.
“Jorja was an amazing participant to have, she engaged actively and found a safe space to speak about her struggles and challenges moving forward in her studies. She always spoke about her pros and cons of decision making and always chose what was best for her in every situation.”
Jorja initially planned to graduate in 2023, however despite her hard work she was unsuccessful with passing her final exam, meaning she would have to re do the unit again in the following year.
She was feeling disheartened and unsure of what to do next so she went to Taryn to discuss her options. At one point she thought about quitting her studies to start working instead.
It was difficult for her to decide on what to do next, but after a lot of thought, she decided that she wanted to complete her studies, especially as she was so close. She could see herself graduating so she pushed herself to get over the line and graduated in 2024!
Jorja said that the support from her mentor, Taryn, has been instrumental in her graduation and achieving her goals.
“The best thing about the program is that it gave me Taryn! Having her in my corner encouraged me and I am forever grateful. I wouldn’t have finished and be where I am now if not for Taryn and her support.”
The Indigenous Scholarship Program, delivered by the Waalitj Foundation in partnership with Shell’s QGC business, aims to increase First Nations Australians with tertiary and trade qualifications. The program is facilitated by local First Nations mentors who utilise their contextual and cultural understanding to provide individual mentoring for each participant. For more information about the Indigenous Scholarship Program, click here.
