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Girl Academy’s new Principal supplied by Girl Academy 13 November 2015
J
essa Rogers is an Aboriginal educator who brings a combination of experience in community engagement, academic and teaching excellence, as well as a strong passion for Indigenous education. Jessa has taught at the University of the Sunshine Coast, University of Canberra and Macquarie University as a lecturer in undergraduate and postgraduate Indigenous Education. Jessa was National NAIDOC Youth of the Year in 2010 and is a now a member of the National NAIDOC Committee. She led a large Indigenous boarding program for girls in Brisbane for several years, adding to her teaching experience in social science, creative arts and Indigenous studies. Jessa has undergraduate degrees with First Class Honours in Education and Creative Arts (QUT), Masters in Education (Guidance and Counselling) (USQ) and is completing her PhD at the Australian National University, looking at the experiences of Aboriginal girls attending boarding schools, and Māori girls’ experiences in New Zealand as a comparison. Winner of the ANU Vice-Chancellor’s Staff Award for Reconciliation, she was named the 2015 Minoru Hokari Scholar
Girl Academy’s new principal, Jessa Rogers believes ‘every girl deserves a good education, one that values culture, community and family’. Image: Girl Academy
for her cross-cultural Indigenous research in boarding schools. Jessa’s lived experiences as a teenage mother give a depth to her Girl Academy leadership that can’t be taught. Jessa is excited to build on the work of the Cape York Partnership team who has overseen the Girl Academy during its initial development. She leads our shared vision for the future for
the girls and their children, and providing a culturally supportive environment where students and families can build and achieve their goals while maintaining strong relationships with culture, country and community. “Every girl deserves a good education, one that values culture, community and family.”
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