Madalah scholars shared their experience of the organisation's profound impact at the recent 2026 Madalah x Future Footprints Graduation event in Boorloo / Perth.

A First Nations-led not-for-profit, Madalah provides secondary and tertiary education scholarships for Indigenous students from regional and remote Western Australian and Northern Territory communities.

Madalah provides comprehensive support to students, meeting academic, pastoral and material needs.

Held at the Perth Convention Centre on the evening of September 3, over 160 people attended the graduation event to hear Indigenous students who have been supported and encouraged by Madalah tell their stories, their way.

'Wouldn't be possible without Madalah'

Year 12 students Kira-Lee of St Mary's Anglican School for Girls and Derell from Trinity College were among the speakers on the night, alongside Madalah CEO Casey Jo Drummond.

"I'm a year 12 at Trinity but that wouldn't be possible without Madalah," Kira-Lee said.

"Before my journey with Madalah, Future Footprints and Trinity, the First Nations people that I knew were limited to my family and no one else, but now my circle has grown across schools, regions and states.

"Even from the start the support has been there for me, Casey Jo was the first person in Madalah I was introduced to, she was excited, welcoming and very happy to have more students join Madalah's program."

Kira-Lee said the Madalah Year 7 camp was a great introduction to the organisation.

"On this camp I met some of my closest friends today... That same year I had my first Madalah Youth Leadership Summit, where I had the opportunity to meet other young First Nations leaders.

"Every year the YLS camp became something to look forward to... I became more confident in myself because of the support I received. The confidence I gained from these camps transferred to my everyday life, with my friends, family, teammates, peers, and teachers."

Madalah 'has been there for me when no one else has'

Derell said Madalah "has been there for me when no one else has".

"I was having some issues a couple months ago... I voiced my issues to some Madalah staff, and they didn't send me away ... they were there, they gave me advice on how to overcome my problems," he told the audience.

"I understand many of you have had your fair share of hard times but seeing you all here today, proud of who you are, standing tall, ready for the next journey and I couldn't be prouder of you all for achieving what you have done."

Kira-Lee, who is from Albany, came to St Mary's as a boarder for Year 10.

While moving away from home, she said, "where my family, my community, and my sense of belonging come from ... was one of the hardest things I've ever done", she persisted.

"I found a great circle of friends who helped me push through the challenges of boarding. Being away from home has brought struggles and moments of loneliness, but the sacrifice I made has shaped me into who I am today," she told the crowd.

"Academically, I've grown so much. I've had to learn resilience and self‑determination to achieve the results I wanted. The support and resources from the school community have played a massive role in helping me get there."

'We come together as First Nations students to celebrate our culture, our language, and our identity'

Kira-Lee noted NAIDOC Week has "always been the best time of year", a time I which "we come together as First Nations students to celebrate our culture, our language, and our identity".

"It gives me a deep sense of pride and reminds me why our culture is so important in schools," she said.

Sport has been "a huge part" of her journey, with making the WANL Futures netball team and refereeing basketball at a Black and White level for the past four years in WABL among experiences which "have helped me grow in confidence, leadership, and resilience", she said.

"Being in Year 12 has given me the chance to lead and role model positive behaviours for younger students. Some of my favourite memories include camps, Welcome to Country events at the start of each year, and moments where we've been able to share culture, community, and leadership together," Kira-Lee added.

Her plan after high school is to complete a TAFE bridging course for university entry, and working while she studies to save money for overseas travel; with Spain and Ireland in her sights.

"After that, I want to attend university over east to study Law, with a focus on criminal law. I want to work in justice to bring fairness, representation, and advocacy for Aboriginal people. My goal is to serve my community and help create change," she said.

'Everything has just gotten better since I first joined Madalah'

Derell said "everything has just gotten better" since he first joined Madalah.

"They have expanded their program, formed partnerships with companies and they have just kept on improving," he said.

"I count myself lucky to be a part of this program, and even luckier to meet new people who will have an impact on my life forever... Even though I might not know all of you, I couldn't be happier graduating with all of you."

Ms Drummond said she was "incredibly proud" to be the CEO of Madalah as she welcomed the audience.

"It fills me with so much pride to stand here this evening. This group of Year 12 students are a cohort I was lucky enough to spend a lot of time with. This group has shown me the intelligence, kindness and value of a community of young people all striving to be the best humans they can be," she said.

"Over the past six years, I've had the absolute privilege of watching you grow, learn, fall down, get back up, and keep pushing forward. You've overcome challenges, embraced lessons, and become the strong young people we see here tonight. You truly inspire me—and I thank you for showing us all what the future of our communities can look like."

Ms Drummond acknowledged "the Madalah Board, our incredible partner schools, Future Footprints, and especially our Madalah staff, who work tirelessly to support you every step of the way".

"To our graduates: congratulations. This night is in your honour. I hope you are as proud of yourselves as we are of you."

Ms Drummond also thanked Madalah's sponsors who were present on the evening: BHP; Revo Fitness; Fortescue; PLS; and WA's Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage. (I assume this was the DPLH in the notes)

Future Footprints Program Coordinator Kristy Ninyette was also among the speakers, and joined Charles Mallard from Madalah for the Award presentations.

Madalah Student and Family Support, Oshay Riley, conducted the certificate presentation, and the wonderful evening was very capably MCd by Madalah Alumni Khyan Townsend.