Clearing a path for others

The Guardian, Swan Hill

SITTING in a Swan Hill classroom as a 15-year-old, Jana Stewart felt her future was numbered.

It was the Closing the Gap statistics. And it was a harrowing narrative.

"I remember looking around the classroom as one of the only Koori kids in the class," she said.

"I remember that, as they were relaying all the bad news on the health and life expectations of First Nations people, it felt like they were reading out my future as a First Nations person.

"I was less likely to finish Year 12; I was less likely to go to university; I was more likely to be unemployed; I was very likely to get a chronic health condition; I was going to die 15 years younger than my peers sitting in the classroom with me; and, if I was in a home that had family violence, which I was, my odds of being in a violence relationship sat at 50 per cent.

"There was no malice in this teacher's lesson, but for me, it felt personal." Years later, Ms Stewart would find her voice in Federal Parliament as a Victorian Labor Senator and now also a recipient of a La Trobe University Young Achiever Award, which recognises outstanding alumni aged 35 years or younger.

It is awarded to those who have achieved significant career success within a relatively short period of time.

La Trobe University chancellor John Brumby said this year's distinguished alumni have not only excelled in their chosen fields, but also across an "extraordinary breadth of contributions".

Ms Stewart said hearing and seeing First Nations people being framed and talked about in "deficit language" was something she would learn was not unique to high school.

"Each of you sitting in this place will have a report or an agenda amongst your emails or on your desk that talks about us in just this way never in neutral or positive language; we're always an issue," she said during her inaugural speech last year.

"It's why I ask that everyone in this place and beyond consider carefully how you talk about First Nations matters, because a First Nations person will be listening. Words are powerful and words matter." As she reflected on her career, she saw a defining thread.

"With each role that I worked in, I have increased my area of impact," she said.

"At VACCA, I was working with children. At Bouverie, I was working with families. In the public service, I was working with traditional owner nations.

"As an adviser, I was working for our state. Now in the Federal Parliament, I am here to help change the nation.

"None of this was planned, but my journey in life and work has prepared me well for this moment at this time and in this place.

"All that I've achieved and so much of what I want to achieve come down to a combination of hard work, perseverance, passion and never forgetting where I come from." Ms Stewart said there were plenty of ways to change the world, whether it was holding a placard or holding someone's hand, "but being in this place provides a unique opportunity and a profound responsibility".

"It speaks to that last piece of wisdom, the words of my mother, who told me, 'You're the oldest; it's your job to let all the sticks and stones hit you to create a clearer path for your brothers and sisters.' "In many respects, her words apply to all of us in this place. It's our job to absorb the sticks and stones, to make sure there is something better and fairer for the next generation and the generation after that." Mr Brumby said La Trobe's distinguished alumni showed the way that people have left their imprint on "just about every field of human endeavour".

"This remarkable group personifies the unique La Trobe spirit and values, and shows exactly why we are known for excellence, innovation, and impact," he said.

"By sharing their stories, experiences, and exceptional achievements, these alumni help to demonstrate the impact that higher education has on individuals and our society as a whole." Ms Stewart was the youngest First Nations woman to be elected in Federal Parliament and the first Aboriginal Labor Senator for Victoria.

Aged 18, she began working at the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA), supporting children and families in out-of-home care.

While at VACCA, Ms Stewart trained in family therapy at La Trobe's The Bouverie Centre and later moved to the public service.

She graduated with a Graduate Certificate in Family Therapy for First Nations Workers (2010) and a Master of Clinical Family Therapy (2013).