12 INDIGENOUS PROGRAMS TRINITY TODAY improve education outcomes for young Indigenous Australians. Campbell cites pastoral care as being of utmost importance in supporting Indigenous students through their education. ‘Appointment of our full- time Indigenous Support Officer is emblematic of this and shows the level of our commitment,’ he says, referring to Tammy Kingi, who joined Trinity in January 2018. Tammy’s role involves assisting Indigenous students with their academic studies and funding support, while also providing pastoral care and helping to develop a sense of community and belonging. It’s a role she finds extremely rewarding, yet sometimes challenging given the diversity of students, who are drawn from many backgrounds. The diversity seen within Trinity’s small but growing cohort of Indigenous students (currently 23) is similar to that seen in broader society, but where ‘Indigenous’ itself tends to be a catch- all for hundreds of different languages, customs and cultures. Finding ways to engage this diverse group in higher education is part of the challenge, so outreach programs are important to help Indigenous students from around Australia, and even internationally, realise the support available to them at Trinity. Tammy praises Campbell for his leadership, crediting him as having provided the backbone of the program and someone who actually gets out and talks to Indigenous people and communities. ‘At Trinity, we focus on genuine engagement, and that’s something to be proud of,’ says Tammy. ‘For instance, Campbell isn’t just referred to as “that white fella from Melbourne” in Indigenous communities, they actually know him as “Campbell from Trinity”.’ Campbell’s personal touch was appreciated by alumnus Jerome Cubillo, who joined the Trinity family in 2009. ‘I was just a kid from Darwin who came to country Victoria to play footy,’ says Jerome. ‘I threw in an application for uni and found out during O-Week that I’d been accepted into the Bachelor of Arts Extended program, but I didn’t have anywhere to live.’ People at the University of Melbourne Indigenous centre, Murrup Barak, suggested he call Campbell. ‘I cold- called Campbell and he told me to come in on Sunday. It was a three-hour train ride and I met him on the Bulpadock for a chat. He said he didn’t have any places free, but would let me know if anything changed in the next day or two,’ says Jerome, remembering the sense of awe he felt looking at the grounds. ‘On the Monday, Campbell called to say, “Pack your things and get back on the train; I’ve found a place for you”.’ Jerome went on to become Trinity’s first Indigenous member of the TCAC and later returned to Darwin to work as a senior associate in PwC’s Indigenous consulting unit after having started a career with the firm in Melbourne. He’s now working with the Northern Territory Government to draft policy recommendations that help people living in Indigenous communities across the NT. The important role he’s playing in supporting Aboriginal Australians can largely be traced back to Trinity, where he credits the people and support structures, such as the library, scholarships and tutoring programs, for helping him become the first in his family to graduate from university. For others in Jerome’s situation who are looking to break the mould, it can sometimes be simply a case of planting Tammy Kingi and Campbell Bairstow. ‘I’d like to know that students who come to Trinity at least understand, and hopefully embrace, our work towards building a reconciled and purposeful nation.’