Keen to find community while you study? Want to meet with Elders at a gathering place near campus? Or maybe you’re thinking about studying but not sure what course is right for you?
Chisholm’s Koorie Student Support Team team can help you with these kinds of questions, even before you enrol.
You may have already met proud Bundjalung man Christopher Morrison, Chisholm’s Koorie Liaison Team Leader – he’s always up for a yarn with Mob who are curious about studying.
"I’d like to acknowledge the Bunurong People of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Custodians of the land [where Chisholm is located]. I pay my respects to their Elders past, present and emerging,” he says.
As part of the Koorie Student Support Team, Christopher works alongside Koorie Support Officer, proud Yorta Yorta woman Amber Wilson, to support Mob and build community across Chisholm’s campuses.
If you’re thinking of studying at Chisholm, here are a few of the ways the Koorie Student Support Team may be able to help.
Have a yarn about courses and scholarships
Knowing what course is right for you can be tricky, so Christopher says it helps to have a yarn before you decide.
For example, he recently spoke with a young woman who was working in retail but knew she didn’t want to be there forever.
“I reached out to her to talk through what she was interested in. What it kept circling back to was nursing,” he says.
Christopher teed up a meeting with the nursing education manager at Chisholm to give the potential student more of an idea of what the job involves.
“She wasn’t 100% sure if nursing was the right thing for her but they sat down and had a yarn about the pros and cons of nursing as a possible career pathway,” he says.
After their chat, the student enrolled in the Diploma of Nursing – and she’s ready to start her course this year.
Christopher says the team may also be able to help you secure a scholarship from the Caroline Chisholm Education Foundation which can provide financial assistance for your studies.
Access useful services while you study
The team can also link you up with services that may come in handy while you’re at Chisholm.
For example, they could help you book a careers counselling session or access disability or wellbeing support – and advocate on your behalf if you’d like.
“We can actually sit in there for the booking – or we can just walk with you to the booking,” says Christopher.
“If it's something that's a bit more culturally sensitive, we can set up a time and sit down and have a yarn about it first.”
Link with community off campus
Something Christopher is passionate about is connecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to community outside of the campus.
“When you join Chisholm, you're not just coming here to study. If you want a connection to culture, if you're wanting to have a better understanding of what the local Aboriginal community looks like, that is on offer to you,” he says.
“For example, last year we did a gathering place excursion where we picked up students from Frankston and Berwick campuses and took them out to Casey gathering place to participate in a community lunch.
“They had the opportunity to have a yarn with some Elders of the community and Uncles and Aunties who were there.
“For a number of those students, it was the very first time that they'd ever been to a gathering place, so it was really good to share that experience with them.”
Celebrate culture with Koorie Connect
This year the team is also running Koorie Connect, a social program that gives Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and employees the chance to come together through community lunches and other events at Chisholm. It’s LGBTQI+ inclusive and open to people of all genders.
“We're trying to really build a community within Chisholm – which is something you may not have had in your workplace or your high school or where you’ve been – but will be open to you if you join us as a student,” says Christopher.
There are also two gender-specific First Nations groups you may like to join – The Deadly Tidda Girls and a forthcoming men’s group – which meet regularly on campus.
Plus, you can also take part in on-campus events celebrating culture and marking important days – like NAIDOC week and the anniversary of the 1967 referendum, as well as Join the Dots, an annual celebration of First Nations culture at Chisholm.
How to contact the Koorie Student Support Team
If you’re a current student or thinking about enrolling in a course at Chisholm, Christopher says the Koorie Student Support Team members are always happy to answer any questions you may have.
“If you’re thinking about a pathway into education, give us a call and have a yarn today,” he says.
“We're here to support you and, even if you’re not sure about what you’d like to do, we can sit down with you and try to work out what that pathway could look like.”
Get in touch with the Koorie Student Support Team team via klo@chisholm.edu.au or 1300 244 746 (and choose option 4).
