My name is Guruji Wagner, and I am a proud Gimuy Walubarra Yidinji man from Far North Queensland.  I grew up in two Aboriginal communities, being both Palm Island and Yarrabah and I have witnessed firsthand the flow on effects of limited education, poor access to health and wellbeing services, poor housing, and further studies that relate to social issues concerning the young Indigenous youth.

 

I relocated to Melbourne in 2021, after attending Boarding School at Ipswich Grammar School. I am currently in my second year of studying a Bachelor of Design (Mechanical Systems) at The University of Melbourne and after the successful completion of this course, I plan to continue my studies by completing a Master of Engineering (Mechanical) at The University of Melbourne in order to become an accredited Charted Mechanical Engineer.

 

By having the great privilege to be a recipient of the Kamener Scholarship, this opportunity has enabled me to not only reside at Ormond College, but create lifelong friendships from College and establish networks from alumni, unparallel to any other opportunity. I am humbled to be a recipient of this scholarship, as this institution promotes uniqueness and as a result, I’d like to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous education.