My name is Hayley McQuire, I was born and raised in Rockhampton, Queensland and I am a descendant of the traditional landowners of this region, the Darumbal people.

Growing up in Rockhampton, I was surrounded by family. In fact my family made up 10% of my primary school’s population.

In year 8, I started attending Heights College. With hardly any family there this was a big change for me, however I knew that my parents had made many sacrifices to send me there so I tried to get good marks. I began coaching an under 9’s soccer team in grade 11, this is where I found my passion for education and decided that I wanted to become a teacher.

Currently I am studying a Double Degree in Education and Media Arts. I am also involved with the Ngunnawal Centre, and without the support of the staff and students, I don’t believe the transition of moving away from home would have been as easy. In 2010 I was elected as the Social Officer for our student association.

Since starting university my highlights include attending the Indigenous Uni Games in Newcastle, and recieving a High Distinction for my Indigneous Education unit, an area which I plan to base my career around.