Indigenous high school students gathered at CQUniversity Rockhampton this week to discuss tertiary study options and to hear from people who have succeeded with the help of a university education.

Students from Rockhampton High, St Brendan's College and Toolooa High took part in the 'Badi Athu' event, where they heard from speakers including Darumbal elder Robert Mann, Daniel Yasso from CQ Indigenous Development and Malcolm Mann from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

Badi Athu means ‘grow to know' in the Darumbal language. With this concept in mind, students in Years 10 and 11 are positioning themselves for continued learning. Badi Athu uses cultural ways of learning through story-telling and sharing, as well as drawing on the knowledge and skills of academics to build confidence and raise higher education aspirations.

Yarrndji Ingra discusses career options with Melinda Mann-Yasso from CQUniversity's Nulloo Yumbah Indigenous Learning, Spirituality & Research Centre

Participating Year 11 student Yarrndji Ingra, who is boarding at Yeppoon, said he was planning to become an environmental engineer, so the career pathways aspect of the day was useful.

"It was helpful to find out how others were brought up and what they did to get where they are," Yarrndji said.

"It was good to focus on subject choice, to learn the benefits of perseverance and to meet students from other schools."

Participants in the special Badi Athu careers day 
Helping to guide the young participants were L-R Robert Mann, Daniel Yasso and Malcolm Mann