On the 11thFebruary 2024 Woolyungah Indigenous Centre held our WAS Welcome Event for the 16 recipients of the 2023 Woolyungah Accommodation Scholarship (WAS).
The WAS Scholarship assists with the costs of accommodation for regional and remote students in their first year of study and provides opportunities for Indigenous students to study without some of the financial barriers associated with relocating to study.
The event signifies the start of a new journey, giving students a clear mind and spirit to begin their studies at UOW. The students and their families participated in a smoking ceremony and were welcomed onto Country by Uncle Richard Davis. Previous WAS recipients shared stories of their own experiences of being away from home and for many living off-Country for the first time. Students were also given the opportunity to meet each other, local Elders, and community members and were introduced to WIC staff who would be directly supporting them as they settle into their studies at UOW.
Students, their families, and WIC staff then walked over to Kooloobong Village to help orient the students with the campus before getting them settled in for the start of their studies.