Two outstanding Aboriginal public school students have been named recipients of Western Australia's 2025 Rob Riley Memorial Prize, in recognition of their academic achievements.
The Prize, named for the late Aboriginal human rights advocate Rob Riley, is awarded to the highest achieving Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) and Vocational Education and Training (VET) Aboriginal students in Western Australian public schools.
On Thursday, WA Education Minister Sabine Winton announced Churchlands Senior High School graduate Sienna McLaren as the 2025 recipient of the ATAR prize, and Safety Bay Senior High School graduate Callum Hudman as the 2025 VET prize winner.
The outstanding students each received $5,000, a certificate and formal letter signed by the Minister for Education, plus a copy of the Rob Riley biography.
Callum completed 191 workplace learning hours and received a Certificate II in Workplace Skills, Certificate II in Engineering, and Certificate III in Business. He now plans to start an apprenticeship with Alltrax Diesel Services as a heavy diesel mechanic.
"At first it was a total surprise," he said of winning the award.
"I felt real proud of myself and all my work and studies that I had completed in the last two years at school, Tafe and work placement. That now gives me the confidence that I have chosen the right career path to pursue."
Callum said he plans to study for the next four years in an apprenticeship course in heavy-diesel mechanics and getting a cert IV in heavy-duty plant mechanics.
"My dream job would be a job where I can travel the world, meeting new people from different places and hearing their stories," he said.
"I would like to thank my teachers, family, work placement co-workers and my Tafe lecturers, who always pushed me to be a better version of myself. They would never know how much it means to me that they show up every day and strive and inspire for me to be better."
Callum encouraged younger Indigenous students to enjoy school, "make some good trustworthy friends", and work hard.
Graduating with a Certificate of Distinction, Sienna - whose mob is Gunaikurnai - plans to study at the University of Western Australia, starting with a Bachelor of Environmental Science, followed by a Master of Environmental Science.
"I was really really stoked as winning the Rob Riley award was my biggest goal through upper school and hearing that I finally achieved my goal made all the hard work worth it. I just felt so surreal that it had actually happened," she said.
"I plan to study a combined bachelor and master degree of environmental science at UWA. I am still figuring out what exactly I want to focus on within environmental science but would love to have a job where I can try and reduce the impacts that humans have had on the environment."
Sienna encouraged younger Indigenous students to reach for the stars.
"I really want to stress that you should strive as high as you can and challenge yourself to get better and better, and always use any resources you have as well as seek help wherever possible," she said.
Minister Winton congratulated Sienna and Callum on being recognised for their dedication to study and training.
"What an incredible effort. Both Sienna and Callum demonstrated outstanding commitment throughout their secondary schooling and are deserving of the Rob Riley Memorial Prize," she said.
"I look forward to seeing their continued success in further education and training, and wish them all the very best as they move forward in their lives."
WA Aboriginal Affairs Minister Don Punch hailed the students' "outstanding achievement".
"The Rob Riley Memorial Prize celebrates Aboriginal students who have shown exceptional dedication and excelled in their studies," he said.
"Sienna and Callum should be incredibly proud of what they have achieved. It's terrific to see these young leaders setting such a strong example for others across Western Australia."
