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“Kid, we back you.”
Jordan Kilcoyne was explaining how it felt to receive an Indigenous scholarship to Bond University, but in doing so he also gave voice to the crowd at the 2024 Kumai Karulbo Indigenous Gala.
Mr Kilcoyne (Class of 2016) graduated with a Bachelor of Laws and now works as an investigator at the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
“I know it sounds like a cliche but a scholarship was life-changing,” the Torres Strait Islander told 400 people at the gala.
“When you’re on an education pathway, sometimes that path has a gap where you're limited financially, and the scholarship builds that bridge for you.
“I’m the first person in my family to go to university and it sends a message to someone like myself, saying, look kid, we back you and we support you and want you to take that further step.”
The annual gala, held on campus, raises funds to provide Indigenous scholarships.
The university has graduated more than 400 First Nations students in its 35-year history.
Bond University Provost and Mandandanji woman Keitha Dunstan told the gala Bond recently ranked first for teaching and fifth for equity in The Australian Financial Review Best Universities Ranking.
“This very high ranking for equity is due to the hard work and the success of our Indigenous students,” Professor Dunstan said.
“In the past five years, our Indigenous students have had an 87 percent (graduation) success rate, which is 10 percent more than the national average.”
Bond University Vice Chancellor and President, Professor Tim Brailsford, paid tribute to gala patron Pat Corrigan who has gifted or loaned hundreds of Indigenous artworks to the university, many of which are displayed in the Corrigan Walk Art Tour.
“Pat this year has donated a further 20 magnificent pieces of artwork to the university,” Professor Brailsford said.
“Pat, the sense of pride that we have in the Indigenous art which adorns this university is all due to you. Several donors have followed in your footsteps.”
Another Indigenous alumni, Myria Cano-Hall (Class of 2018), graduated with a Bachelor of Health Sciences and Master of Nutrition and Dietetic Practice and is now a sessional teaching fellow at the University.
“My Nana was the first in our family to go to university, so I was the second,” Ms Cano-Hall said.
“Growing up, she always wanted me to become a teacher.
“It was never something I wanted to do but after finishing my Masters here, it all just fell into place and once I got a taste for it, I realised how much I loved it.”
Ms Cano-Hall recently returned to her high school in Port Augusta, South Australia, where she presented a sports nutrition session to students.
“I was able to show the upcoming kids at my school that you're not stuck in this small town,” she said.
“You can get out and you can do really amazing things.”
Among the gala guests were Bond University Chancellor David Baxby (Class of 1992), his wife Selina (Class of 1991) and mother Nanette Carroll.
Former NBA and Australian Boomers player Andrew Bogut, state Member for Burleigh Hermann Vorster (Class of 2003) and Gold Coast councillor Glenn Tozer (Class of 2016) were also in attendance.
A highlight of the night was a silent auction of artworks by significant Indigenous artists including Rosella Namok, Rosemary Pitjara, Lance Peck and Willy Tjungurrayi.
But it was a painting by Bachelor of Social Science student Abelee Stanley that attracted some of the fiercest bidding.
Ms Stanley, who is at Bond on a scholarship, is on track to graduate with a Bachelor of Social Science.
The painting was bought by the Chancellor’s mother, Ms Carroll.
The gala featured performances by the Biren Cultural Group and The Jacks Band.
Every dollar raised will go towards the education of Indigenous students, with no funds allocated to administration costs.
