“Being on an AIEF Scholarship, we were able to have a better future and achieve our goals.”
Sisters Amelya and Lilly are proud Torres Strait Islander women descended from the Dauareb people of the Meriam nation, and the Saisarem people of Erub Island in the eastern islands of the Torres Strait.
Their story is proof of how transformative education can be.
“Mum and Dad always wanted the best for all of us. They wanted all of us to go through boarding school and have the best education we could,” says Amelya.
Following in the footsteps of their older siblings who attended boarding school at St Monica’s College and St Augustine’s College in Cairns, Amelya began boarding school on an AIEF Scholarship in Year 7, with Lilly starting her secondary education journey two years later.
Fast forward and Amelya is now in her final year of Nursing at university. After finishing her course, she hopes to do a graduate program and pursue theatre or emergency nursing in remote hospitals in Weipa on the Cape York Peninsula, or on Thursday Island.
Lilly completed Year 12 in 2024 and has started her first year of a Speech Pathology degree in Townsville. She also has her sights set on returning home and contributing to the local health service.
“My goal is to go back to Thursday Island and work there because I see firsthand how little attention the remote health service is given – a lot of kids aren’t getting proper treatment.”
For both sisters, the support from AIEF represents more than financial assistance. It has provided confidence, mentoring, and connections that continue to ultimately transform their futures.
“My fondest memory is the AIEF Career Sessions,” says Amelya. “My AIEF Advisor helped me to figure out what I wanted to do and put me on my career path.”
For Lilly, “One of the greatest things is the connections. The people that I met through AIEF have helped me a lot. I am proud of my independence, and I’m also very proud of finishing high school.”
Amelya and Lilly are grateful for the opportunity afforded by receiving and AIEF Scholarship.
“Thank you for helping our education. Your donations have gone a long way to supporting who we are now and what we’re doing with ourselves,” says Amelya.
Lilly adds, “I know that without AIEF and the scholarship, I probably wouldn’t have been able to go to school at St Monica’s.”
“Your kind donations have changed our lives and made it possible that we’re both now able to go to university and achieve our dreams.”
Amelya and Lilly’s story is just one example of how your generous support creates lasting transformation — not only in the lives of students, but within their families, communities and for generations to come.
