Backing from Calleo Indigenous is helping First Nations students break through systemic barriers and pursue careers that reflect their ambitions, strengths and identities.
Iris Lamers and Raj Singh from Calleo Indigenous with scholarship recipient Tarsha Davis at the 2026 RMIT Scholarship Dinner.
Contributing to reconciliation in practical ways is at the heart of the mission of Calleo Indigenous – a purpose-led Commonwealth capability organisation.
“We know that across Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples continue to live with the ongoing impacts of systemic discrimination,” says Development Advisor for the Calleo Indigenous Community Fund (CICF), Mike Smith AO.
“By recognising education as a powerful pathway for self‑determination, community leadership and healing, we aim to play a small but meaningful role in redressing this harm by supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to pursue their dreams.”
Calleo Indigenous currently funds two scholarships a year through the CICF for RMIT students experiencing financial or social disadvantage. Each is usually offered from the student’s second year of study and can last up to three years.
The CICF Scholarship allowed Bachelor of Criminal Justice alumnus Isabella Grover to participate in an RMIT study tour of the Netherlands and Bosnia and supported her through a three-month full-time placement.
Isabella says the support she received as a First Nations student was “a powerful affirmation of my identity, my goals and my potential”.
“The study tour was not only career shaping but also life changing. It inspired me to become involved in the international affairs space and helped boost my confidence in my professional and personal life,” she says.
Megan Hudson and Mike Smith from Calleo Indigenous.
In addition to the financial support, Calleo Indigenous scholars receive non-academic mentoring during and after their studies. As soon as they receive the scholarship, they become part of the Calleo Indigenous Alumni program that Calleo Managing Consultant Megan Hudson has been developing for the past two years.
“It’s something I’m passionate about,” she says. “They become part of our alumni family, and we stay in touch with quarterly newsletters, merchandise and regular catch-ups, including dinners and lunches. We are also organising our first annual gathering in Canberra, where alumni can meet face to face, hear from speakers about balancing life, work and study, and continue to build a supportive community that will eventually see alumni mentoring new students.”
Since the Calleo Indigenous Scholarship program began in 2022, the CICF has supported 72 students Australia-wide. This includes 20 at RMIT, representing around $250,000 in financial support for students.
Senior Consultant Raj Singh works as a non-academic mentor, staying connected with recipients from the first year of their scholarship through to graduation and beyond. “I organise quarterly catch-ups around key cultural dates like Reconciliation Week, and I regularly check in on students’ progress, exams and placements to make sure they have what they need,” he says.
“Following one alumna’s journey from the classroom to some of the peak bodies of criminal justice in Europe – including the International Criminal Court, International Court of Justice and United Nations – and then seeing her walk across the stage at graduation really showed me what can happen when a student receives support, backs herself and goes after what she wants.”
The scholarship also allows students who have moved to Melbourne to stay connected with their hometowns. “The scholarship gives them the financial freedom to book a flight home or fill up with petrol so they can go back to country or visit their families. I can’t stress the importance of this on the scholar’s wellbeing,” says Raj.
The company is working hard to build the Calleo Indigenous Community Fund so that more people can benefit from support – whether through scholarships like those at RMIT, or practical programs that help people gain skills, qualifications and stability.
“The real difference lies in giving people an opportunity and helping them through,” says Mike Smith. “The results speak for themselves.”
