Aaliyah Brim seizes every opportunity and challenge, from internships and scholarships to CEO roles, inspired from a young age by her grandmother's educational journey.
"My grandmother's university stories and journey really inspired me," Ms Brim said.
"Her experiences showed me that higher education can open up so many possibilities."
Eager to continue her education and follow in her grandmother's footsteps, Ms Brim graduated in 2021 and was accepted into a Bachelor of Information Technology at Central Queensland University.
Despite achieving her goal of entering university, she felt dissatisfied and sought additional challenges and opportunities.
"My experience as a CEO for the day was amazing," Aaliyah said.
"It gave me a clear picture of what it's like, especially about being very organised.
"I felt a degree wasn't enough on its own, I needed work experience too."
Ms Brim took proactive steps to explore placement opportunities, securing hands-on experience with the Pama Platform team at Cape York Partnership through an Aurora Education Foundation Internship.
With her internship and valuable work experience, Ms Brim did not stop.
She has joined the Cape York Leaders Program on a tertiary scholarship supported by the Lee Ming Tee Foundation.
This scholarship will allow her to concentrate on her studies while the program's support and guidance prepare her for future challenges and opportunities.
Ms Brim enjoyed her internship with the Pama Platform and O–Hub team, finding the women there inspiring and hardworking.
"I am interning with the Pama Platform and O–Hub team and I have enjoyed every minute with these wonderful women," she said.
"I have seen them work very hard and I look up to them.
"They have great work ethic, everything about them is inspirational and I have learnt a lot from them."
During her internship, Ms Brim felt her confidence grow as she took on new tasks and met new people.
She plans to apply the knowledge she gained at Pama in her future endeavours.
"Throughout the few weeks interning, I feel my confidence strengthening and I feel more comfortable doing new things and meeting new people," Aaliyah said.
"I have learnt a lot being here.
"I will utilise the knowledge I have gained while working with Pama."
