WA's top year 12 indigenous students honoured

• Curriculum Council's Exhibition (ATSI) winner from Rossmoyne SHS

• Grand-daughter of WA football legend Barry Cable

The two most outstanding indigenous students in Western Australian public schools have been awarded the 2011 Rob Riley Memorial Prize, by Education Minister Liz Constable.

Rossmoyne Senior High School graduate Shelley Cable, and WA College of Agriculture Morawa graduate Latoya Speight were awarded the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE), and Vocational Education and Training prizes.

Shelley, the grand-daughter of WA football legend Barry Cable, also won the Curriculum Council's Exhibition prize, awarded to the top Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student who studied five courses with at least two humanities and two mathematics or science subjects.

Dr Constable said both students had shown outstanding dedication and were worthy recipients of the Rob Riley prize, named in honour of the late indigenous human rights advocate.

"The Cable name is synonymous with success and Shelley's outstanding achievement is a deserved reward for her continued hard work and refusal to settle for second best," she said.

"Shelley is a self-confessed perfectionist and her studies in French, Economics, Mathematics, Accounting, German and English resulted in an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank of 99.5, the second highest of any recipient of the Rob Riley Memorial Prize since it was launched.

"She plans to study Commerce at Curtin University and her dream is to become the chief financial officer of a major company overseas, using her language skills to good effect."

The Minister also presented Latoya Speight with her prize.

"Having achieved straight A grades in her six WACE subjects in year 11, Latoya rose to the challenge of the tougher Stage two courses, achieving four B grades as well as completing a Certificate I in Resources and Infrastructure Operations; Certificate II in Agriculture; Certificate II in Automotive Mechanical; and a Certificate II in Engineering," she said.

"Remarkably, Latoya's family was so determined to give her the best possible support in her education that they moved from Kalbarri to be with her in Morawa.

"She is already working as an environmental assistant at the Karara mine site in the Mid-West, and is hoping to enjoy a long career in mining."

       Fact File

• The two students receive $5,000 each towards further education and training, and a copy of Rob Riley: An Aboriginal Leader's Quest for Justice, a biography written by Quentin Beresford from Edith Cowan University

Minister's office - 9222 9699