The Bupa Foundation has named Kanisha Wills and Shenea Tipungwuti as the beneficiaries of the 2024 Dr Evelyn Scott Scholarship, dedicated to supporting First Nations university students in Australia.
Each recipient will be granted $15,000, a contribution designed to assist them in their educational journey and future endeavours aimed at improving health outcomes within First Nations communities.
Launched in 2018, the scholarship serves as a tribute to the late Dr Evelyn Scott, an Indigenous leader and advocate for equality, who also resided at Bupa's Mt Sheridan aged care home.
The annual initiative underscores the foundation's commitment to honouring Scott's lifelong dedication to social justice and community upliftment.
Kanisha Wills, a student of psychological sciences at the University of Adelaide, has been recognised for her efforts to confront and dispel biases and misconceptions about First Nations people.
“I want to support young ones to be healthy, get a good education, find their passions, discover the joy in life, connect to culture, and learn safe and healthy coping mechanisms for the hard times. I hope I can use this scholarship to gain as much knowledge as possible so that I can make real change so that we can be strong, proud, and deadly,” she said.
Shenea Tipungwuti, who is pursuing a bachelor of science degree at the University of Melbourne with ambitions to further her studies in medicine and research, credits the influence of First Nations university graduates as pivotal to her academic success.
“It was only the influence of other First Nations peoples around me who went through university that pushed me to where I am today… I want to be able to do the same; I want to inspire others and influence them in a positive way,” she said.
The award is a cornerstone of Bupa's broader Reconciliation Action Plan, which focuses on fostering the professional growth of First Nations health professionals.
Roger Sharp, chief sustainability and corporate affairs officer at Bupa APAC, extended his congratulations to both awardees, highlighting their commitment and potential to drive positive change in their communities and across Australia.
“Our vision for reconciliation is an Australia where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people enjoy equity and equality and are living longer, healthier, happier lives,” he said. “We hope that through these scholarships, Kanisha [and] Shenea can develop distinguished careers and make meaningful impacts in their local communities and around Australia.”
The Bupa Foundation also acknowledged two additional “highly commended” scholars with $10,000 each and awarded $5,000 each to two runner-up recipients, all of whom have shown exceptional promise in their fields of study.
To date, the Bupa Foundation has invested over $220,000 in scholarships and awards through its partnership with the CareerTrackers internship program.
Aside from supporting First Nations university students in Australia, the Bupa Foundation supports Australians with their mental health-related needs, recently backing the inauguration of a new counselling centre in Melbourne.
