Graduate awarded Perkins Scholarship

Arts graduate Leila Smith is UK-bound after being awarded a Charlie Perkins Scholarship which will see her study public policy at Cambridge University.

Leila was one of four students from Australia awarded the scholarship. The others are from New South Wales, James Cook and Melbourne Universities.

“It’s finally starting to feel real now. I found out a couple of months ago but I was told to keep the news quiet until the official ceremony and because of this we haven’t talked about it much since then.”

Leila’s husband Karl and two-year-old son Asher will be making the move with her to Cambridge. “I’ve got six months to pack up my life.”

The British High Commissioner, His Excellency Mr Paul Madden, announced the scholarships winners at a ceremony last week.

The Charlie Perkins Scholarship is a scheme which assists Indigenous Australians to pursue postgraduate study at Oxford and Cambridge universities. 

Leila is a Wiradjuri woman who was schooled in Canberra. She graduated from ANU with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) majoring in Sociology in 2007. “I wouldn’t have picked a different degree.”

After university she worked as a data analysis with the Australian Institute of Health and Wealth, and is now working as a policy manager at the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association, which is tasked with advocating for improvements in Indigenous health in Australia and supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical students and doctors.

“The ANU is a large reason why I am going to Cambridge - in terms of scholarships I got from ANU and the support of my honours supervisor Joanna Sikora and the Tjabal Indigenous Higher Education Centre - which was a home away from home.

“Joanna was amazing - she set the bar very high – and gave me opportunities to challenge myself,” says Leila.

Leila, who entered ANU though an alternative pathways programme, was also awarded a summer research scholarship while studying. “I wouldn’t have got first class honours if I hadn’t done the summer research scholarship with the Research School of Social Sciences.”

Leila was back on campus last week visiting ANU College of Medicine with a group of year 10 and 12 Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander students who aspire to have a career in healthcare.  From 200 applications 30 students were chosen for the programme which is about encouraging Indigenous students into the health industry.

“It is exactly what the Charlies Perkins scholarship is about - it’s about giving back to people and showing people the way,” says Leila.