Aidan Train from Spinifex State College, Mt Isa was named as Queensland's Highest Achieving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student in 2015.
Aidan's Story
I’m Aidan Train, I’m a Wailwan man and a previous recipient of a QATSIF QCE Scholarship. I graduated from Spinifex State College in 2015, since then I have moved to Toowoomba and started a Bachelor of Engineering Honours majoring in Civil Engineering. Currently in my third year of study, I have had many brilliant opportunities in my university and college community that have allowed for me to grow professionally and personally. Mount Isa was not where it all started for me, my educational background comes from small regional schools across most parts of Queensland. However, in a way, this only encouraged to look for every challenge available and to extend myself whenever opportunities arose.
Aidan at Spinifex State College
Initially, I had aspirations to join the military as an officer and study through ADFA. However, as I continued through school, I saw I had a knack for maths and science and thought that studying to become an engineer in private industry would be a better fit for me. With great support from my teachers and parents I was able to excel in my high school studies, leading to my achievement of an OP1 and being recognised as Queensland’s Highest Achieving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student in 2015.
Fast-forward 3 years and I am here at USQ doing the degree I had aspired to study. Choosing USQ was not difficult for me as it has many benefits being a smaller more regional university. The amount of support from lecturers and tutors is greater due to the small class sizes. Additionally, there is a strong emphasis at USQ for finding employment for students which was important for me moving forward into a degree. Despite having the potential to be accepted into a larger university, I made the choice to remain in an education environment I had grown accustomed to. With the student to lecturer ratio of USQ, I am afforded immense levels of support and guidance through my work.
My involvement in the CareerTrackers internship program has given me the ability to see applications of my degree in the Engineering Consultancy, GHD. This has given me foresight into studies, introduced me to great mentors in the workplace and a community of Indigenous student interns facing challenges in their studies similar to myself. With the continuing support of my family, CareerTrackers, faculty, USQ’s Centre for Indigenous Studies Education and Research and college community, I have high hopes for the future as my studies come to a close.