Just 39 kilometres from the tip of Cape York lies Thursday Island, home to under 3,000 residents and one of 274 islands in the Torres Strait. It’s here that Samuel grew up with his family, surrounded by culture, community, and a quiet ambition for something more.
Samuel’s older brother, Kiyoshi, received a Yalari scholarship in 2020. Now in his final year at John Paul College, he hopes to pursue a career in dance, a passion he’s held since primary school. Witnessing Kiyoshi’s growth and transformation through the opportunity of a Yalari scholarship, their mother Faylene dreamed of the same future for Samuel.
Samuel’s primary school reports revealed a bright and determined student, deeply committed to his learning. But despite his dedication, his academic results weren’t quite at the level required to thrive in a boarding school environment.
At Yalari, we often meet students with the passion and potential to succeed, but whose academic foundations hold them back. In response to this growing need, Yalari Ready was launched – a pilot program designed to give students the intensive literacy and numeracy support they need to thrive at leading secondary schools.
Samuel proudly wearing his John Paul College uniform.
Samuel with other Yalari Ready students at John Paul College.
In 2024, Samuel was offered a place in the Yalari Ready pilot program, hosted at John Paul College. Over the course of a full school year, Samuel and eight other students from regional and remote communities across Australia took part in the tailored intensive numeracy and literacy program designed to build their confidence and capabilities in literacy and numeracy, preparing them to step into boarding school fully equipped to thrive.
“I found that Yalari Ready was a great experience for me as I was working hard to get my grades up. The class I was in helped me to connect with other people and get better at my academics, particularly maths. Yalari Ready prepared me very well for high school because my teacher understood me and I understood her; she taught me a lot of what I know now. Last year I was struggling a bit, but once I went to Yalari Ready and I focused a lot more, it made me improve my work”.
Of the seven students who successfully completed the Yalari Ready program, all were awarded Yalari scholarships in 2025, including Samuel who started Year 7 at John Paul College in 2025.
By supporting the Yalari Ready program through a tax-deductible donation, you’re helping close the educational gap for students like Samuel. You will help strengthen the literacy and numeracy for Indigenous children living in rural parts of Australia, ultimately building their confidence to excel at boarding school and into the future.
