Wadeye students graduating Year 12 at Bright P-12 College

History has shown that graduating Year 12 for students from Wadeye, NT has been very difficult.

Indigenous.gov.au recently brought you the story of Mary Papuli, the first student since 2007 to graduate while attending a school in Wadeye.

In this story, we celebrate the triumph of 3 more students from Wadeye. They graduated from a boarding school in Victoria.

Veronica Munar, Marcus Kinthari and Lauren Bitting share their experience.

‘We are 3 young people from Wadeye in the Northern Territory.  We have been studying at Bright P-12 College in Victoria for the last 3 years and we have now just graduated Year 12.

‘People often ask us “what was the hardest thing about graduating?” For each of us it was slightly different.’

For Veronica, it was completing literacy. For Lauren, it was just finishing all the work requirements after COVID as there was a fair bit to catch up. For Marcus, it was staying on top of the requirements and being disciplined.

And the best thing about finishing Year 12?

‘No more school work,’ said Marcus.

‘For me, it was Dad visiting for the first time and seeing my school and meeting my friends. He was so proud,’ said Veronica.

‘It was finishing, but at the same time it marks a new beginning. Anything is possible when you have Year 12,’ said Lauren.

Looking ahead, Marcus is going for a long holiday, and then start work so he can buy a car. He has been accepted into a traineeship in 2021 at Bright P-12 College and will be studying a Certificate III in Sport and Recreation through AFL SportsReady.

After discovering a talent for design when she was studying in Bright, Lauren will be studying Art and Design at TAFE

‘I designed the Bright Netball Club uniform for the Indigenous round and it was so popular we used it as the official away uniform for the rest of the season. Next year I will be studying Art and Design at TAFE,’ she said.

Veronica like Marcus has been accepted into a traineeship at Bright P-12 College in Physical Education in Primary School and will engage in a Certificate III in Sport and Recreation through AFL SportsReady in 2021.

All 3 students were asked what advice they would give a young person who was thinking about going to boarding school.

Veronica said learn as many different things as you can.

Lauren said give things a go.

And Marcus said stay strong and listen to the right people.

Marcus, Veronica and Lauren said they would like to thank all the people who supported them. It’s a long list but includes Justin and Bec Crawley from Thamarrurr Youth, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School in Wadeye, Bright College teachers and staff, Dumu Balcony Café staff in Bright, madec, Kindred Spirits Foundation and of course, their families and friends.