Psychologist Paul Gray joined Community Services in the Department of Human Services NSW through the Indigenous Cadetship Program in 2005.

Paul is one of two Aboriginal students awarded the Charles Perkins Scholarship and he will be going to Oxford University in September. Paul will be studying for a PhD in Experimental Psychology, examining how early childhood trauma affects the way people think in later life.

What aspects of your work with the NSW public sector gives you the most satisfaction? 

My role in Communities Services enables me to work with my community trying to optimise the life outcomes of vulnerable young people. Communities Services has also supported me to think and work more broadly, and this has given me the opportunity to work with my local Aboriginal community on projects that are important to the community.

After completing my studies at Oxford University I’ll be coming back to Australia to continue to work with children in our community, applying the knowledge and experience I’ve gained from my studies to improve outcomes for vulnerable children and families in our community.

Oxford is a big move for me, and I’ll be a long way from my family and community, but I’m very excited to be going there in September.

Hopefully, this will just be the beginning of many Aboriginal students enrolling at Oxford, and eventually, all Aboriginal kids will have the same opportunities I have enjoyed, so it won’t be too uncommon to see Aboriginal students not only entering places like Oxford, but excelling.

How important was the NSW Indigenous Cadetship Program in supporting your career decisions?

I found the NSW Indigenous Cadetship Program ideal. I was interested in community psychology work when the opportunity to join Community Services came up, and I jumped at it.

The NSW Indigenous Cadetship Program really helped develop my focus as I was engaged in the field all year, not just during semester. The work experience provided a practical edge to my studies and put me at ease as to where my studies were heading.

This was particularly helpful towards the end of my studies as I didn’t have to worry about finding a job – I already had one that I was working towards.

What advice would you offer to students considering their next steps after they finish their HSC?

Don’t be put off by what people say you can’t achieve. The most important step is to make sure you get the right education. There are growing numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in many universities around the country, so get in touch with the Indigenous units and talk to people about how to get to where you want to go.