ACU student awarded prestigious Indigenous teacher scholarship

Mathew Lillyst, a Bachelor of Teaching student at Australian Catholic University’s (ACU) Melbourne Campus, was recently awarded the Governor-General’s Indigenous Student Teacher Scholarship for the state of Victoria.

Mathew with Her Excellency, the Governor-General Quentin Bryce.

Mathew and 11 other recipients from across Australia attended the awards ceremony in Canberra earlier this month, held on the International Day of Indigenous Peoples.

Her Excellency, the Governor-General Quentin Bryce, acknowledged Mathew’s important role as a male Indigenous teacher.

Mathew, who is in his final semester at ACU, said he was moved that the Governor-General had congratulated him personally.

He is currently completing his teaching rounds at Charles La Trobe College.

“I haven’t quite decided whether I will go straight into teaching next year or pursue postgraduate study,” Mathew said. “Ideally I would like to do both.”

Mathew plans to put the $25,000 scholarship towards resources and general living expenses in his final year of study.

Awarded for the first time this year, the scholarships are for students who aim to become high-quality teachers and role models for other Indigenous students across the nation, including in remote and rural communities.

The initiative is part of the Government’s commitment to closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.