Tyran Hill's path into education has not been a straight line, but it has always been grounded in community.

A proud Wiilman Noongar man, Tyran traces his family back to the southwest of Western Australia, to Pingelly, where his Pop was born and raised before moving to Adelaide to chase a career in football. Adelaide is where he grew up, surrounded by both sides of his family, learning early what it meant to carry culture across distance.

He speaks openly about the complicated feelings that can come with living away from Country — the disconnection, the guilt, the shame — and the steady work of staying connected. Trips back west at least once a year help him reset. So does family. His dad and his Pop, he says, have always made sure culture remained close.

Those foundations would later shape the way he thinks about education, identity and belonging; and why the work he does now matters so much.

Today, Tyran's journey with the GO Foundation — an Indigenous education and scholarship program — has come full circle.

He first joined in 2020 as a university scholar, supported through his studies at the University of South Australia, where he completed a Bachelor of Human Movement. Currently completing a Master of Secondary Teaching at Adelaide University while working as Scholarships Program Manager, Tyran has become the foundation's first staff member based in Adelaide.

For him, the scholarship was about more than money.

When he enrolled at university, he was juggling two jobs, pressures that only intensified during the pandemic. The support eased that burden, but what followed proved more significant: relationships, mentors and a sense of belonging.

"Initially it was actually my study that helped me begin working at GO, as I was lucky enough to receive a GO Scholarship that supported me through my first degree," he says.

"The scholarship relieved this financial stress which I thought was the greatest, but I had no idea of the other amazing and more important opportunities it would lead to."

Through Culture Connect Days and regular gatherings, Tyran says he met leaders he had long looked up to. Those early memories, he argues, are still vivid; walking into a room and finding people who felt like family.

Describing the GO community as something rare: a workplace that values the whole person. Study, football, cultural commitments — none are treated as distractions.

"It's really unique to be at a workplace where your other commitments like study and footy are viewed as a positive rather than an inconvenience," he says.

That outlook has shaped his approach to teaching.

At 18, he imagined a future as a physio or PE teacher. But time spent with students, particularly young mob, shifted his focus. Tyran says he found purpose; not just in sport or movement, but in the everyday work of helping young people grow into themselves.

"Being able to contribute a small part to their journey towards becoming strong and confident in their identities, and now watching them move onto bigger and better, is priceless," he says.

While he loves the classroom, Tyran also wants to help reshape what is being taught so that all students understand the depth and continuity of culture.

"My favourite part of being an educator... is the opportunity to continually learn from others," he says. "Hearing the experiences and perspectives of our GO scholars, of other students at Uni, has opened my eyes to the continual lack of representation of Indigenous perspectives and truth-telling within the Australian Curriculum."

His role in South Australia has given him a front-row seat to what that change can look like on the ground.

When he started, he was the only staff member in the state. Since then, the program has expanded rapidly — from 120 scholars across 14 schools to 180 across 24. Extra Culture Connect Days have been added, and Adelaide hosted its first graduation last year.

Partners, schools and families have all helped build what he calls a safe and inclusive community for students growing up away from their traditional Country, much like he did.

"Being in a role that aligns with your values, beliefs, interests and studies seems increasingly rare today - it's a blessing," he says.

The days that stay with Tyran most are the simplest ones: school visits, kicking the footy with students, watching Year 1s learning culture alongside Year 12s. He sees himself in them — and sees what is possible.

"Our Elders continue to fight so hard for us to be where we are today, and I hope that making the most of the opportunities that have been presented to me because of them will open even more doorways for our future generations," he says.