At the northern end of Cape York, 40 kilometers south of the tip of Queensland, you’ll find yourself in a small town by the name of Bamaga. With a population of less than 1,500 people, Northern Peninsula Area State College is one of the only primary schools nearby. A traditional co-education school where everyone knows each other, most classes are composite year levels, meaning one classroom has over 25 students from kindergarten all the way through to Year 6.
In one of these classrooms was Arnido, a highly motivated 11-year-old student committed to his studies, winning multiple academic awards.
Arnido applied for a Yalari scholarship in 2021 describing the reason that he wanted to go to boarding school as wanting to “have a better future”, and to improve his English so that he could make more friends outside of his community, with his first language being Torres Strait Creole.
The following year, after successfully receiving a Yalari scholarship, Arnido started at The Southport School (TSS) on the Gold Coast, one of Yalari’s 20 partner boarding schools around the country. “The teaching staff and support systems are world-class,” reflected Arnido, when asked about his experience at TSS. “Each student is just as academically competitive as the next. For me, the biggest differences between schooling back home and now at TSS are the cultural diversities of students, level of academic support, first class resources and the overall outstanding infrastructure of the school.”
Now in year 10, Arnido has been the recipient of six Dean’s List awards, given to students who achieve five A’s or higher in their subjects. “Having a constant goal to work towards motivates me to continue pushing myself that extra mile,” said Arnido, “and if that means I receive a little recognition as a bonus, I’ll keep putting in that effort.”
Arnido delivering the Acknowledgment of Country at the TSS Foundation Business Lunch with other Yalari students.
Arnido receiving The Dean’s List award for his exceptional academic achievements.
Approaching his senior years at high school, Arnido has begun to think about career paths he might like to pursue after graduating.
“I do recall at the beginning of school, it was one of those fun dress-up days. I came in a cool doctor’s outfit that my mum had tactically organised. Wearing a big white coat, scrub cap, a stethoscope around my neck, and a big, happy smile the whole day. A little seed was planted way back then, and now I want to be the first person in my family to become a doctor, similar to how my dad was the first to graduate from university.”
“The path excites me, since it can take you across Australia and possibly the world. Science was my favourite subject through Primary and now Senior School. But the biggest reason of all is that I want to improve the health information and quality of care given to my community back home, and within that pathway, I hope to pay back the place that raised me.”
Arnido’s father, James, has been a long-term supporter of Yalari. As a teacher at Northern Peninsula Area State College, he has provided a number of references for students applying for Yalari scholarships. It’s no surprise that James is the person Arnido looks up to the most.
“I say this all the time, and I’ll keep saying it. The person I look up to in life is my dad. I never look at big-name people with notably high statuses and think they are inspirational or that I would want to switch places with them. However, when I look at Dad and his journey, I would much rather be in his shoes. Being able to be the first in his family to graduate from university and get to a point where he is pursuing something he truly loves and enjoys, while setting his kids up for a better path than himself. Now that, truly inspires me.”
