Maja Tongerie

As an Aboriginal person, my dedication to First Nations student support is very important to me, as I want to support all students in building their cultural identity and finding pride in who they are individually. I am able to do this confidently at both St Aloysius College and St Joseph's School, and during my brief but impactful tenure as a mentor with Catholic Education South Australia. My educational journey and professional dedication converge to foster an environment where students can thrive academically and culturally. Skilled in collaborative learning, consistently fostering a supportive and inclusive educational environment.

University of South Australia First Nations International Study Tour: Fiji, September 2024

I was selected to participate in a 10-day International  Study Tour to Fiji based on cultural immersion and  exchanging cultural knowledge/traditions. This  deepened my interpersonal skills, team building skills, and leadership skills. Some activities I was part of on  this trip included: 

• Village Culture Workshop - learning and understanding Culture, Customs and traditions, etiquette information to prepare for community and village life.
• Sessions at the University of the South Pacific including the history of the Pacific, development issues in Fiji (facilitated by Inoke Droya), SDGs in the Pacific (facilitated by UNICEF), climate change workshop (facilitated by Gregoire Randin) and a language & dialect workshop.
• 4 days in a traditional Fijian village where we ran multiple Youth (18-35) sessions around climate change and leadership skills, in addition to deepening my understanding of the Fijian culture and traditions.

St Aloysius College Pipalyatjara Trip December 2019

St Aloysius College has been running a trip for Year  11 students to Pipalyatjara,    a community in the APY  Lands, for 13 years. I was selected in 2019 to attend  this trip and it was a once in a lifetime experience.  This trip allowed me to gain a better understanding of  myself and facilitated a large amount of growth in who  I wanted to be once I had finished school. Once  coming home from this trip, I knew I wanted to study  Primary Education as I wanted to be able to travel  back to the lands and continue to grow and better  myself in a place that I felt so connected to. This  opportunity shaped me and allowed me to grow and  develop a strong rapport within the First Nations  Education community.

Yellakka Yellakarri Leadership Programs, 2016-2018

Yellakka Yellakarri helps Indigenous students from  Catholic Schools throughout Adelaide gain Leadership  skills and cultural understanding. Attending these  week-long programs through 2016 to 2018 helped me  to increase my team-building skills, verbal  communication skills, and critical thinking. I was able  to help my teams through different activities and  always took the leadership role when applicable.

Governors Aboriginal Employment Industry Cluster Aboriginal Student STEAM Camp July 2019

This STEAM Camp gave me an opportunity to explore  the pathways on offer through STEAM (Science,  Technology, Engineering. Arts and Mathematics), as  well as giving me an insight into the workforce. I was  able to experience:

• Educational hands-on STEAM activities at university campuses.
• Networking with employers in the STEAM field.
• University pathways as an Aboriginal student.
• Flash mentoring, allowing me to gain an understanding of university life and the different pathways taken to get employment.

• Responding to Risks of Harm, Abuse and Neglect – Full day training (2022)
• Responding to Risks of Harm, Abuse and Neglect – Refresher course (2024)
• HLTAID009 Provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation
• HLTAID010 Provide basic emergency life support HLTAID011 Provide First Aid
• HLTAID012 Provide First Aid in an education and care setting
• Screening and Verification Catholic Clearance Card (Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide) – Expires Jan 2027
• Working with Children Check – 2022 (Reference No. 11573671)

• Responding to Risks of Harm, Abuse and Neglect, Full day training, 2022
• Responding to Risks of Harm, Abuse and Neglect, Refresher, 2024
• HLTAID009 Provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation, Certification
• HLTAID010 Provide basic emergency life support, Certification
• HLTAID011 Provide First Aid, Certification
• HLTAID012 Provide First Aid in an education and care setting, Certification

• Catholic Clearance Card, Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide, 01/31/27
• Working with Children Check, 2022, 11573671

• Geoff Aufderheide, Education Advisor: Aboriginal Education, Catholic Education SA, geoff.aufderheide@cesa.catholic.edu.au
• Jo Tapp, Teacher and Pipalyatjara trip Organiser, St Aloysius College, JTapp@sac.sa.edu.au
• Viviana Graney, First Nations Focus Teacher, St Aloysius College, VGraney@sac.sa.edu.au
• Shaun O'Leary, Principal, St Joseph's School Ottoway, soleary@stjotto.catholic.edu.au
• Simon McCollough, Assistant Principal, St Joseph's School Ottoway, smccullough@stjotto.catholic.edu.au