LEADERSHIP: Jerome Cubillo's Trinity experience

Jerome Cubillo (TC 2009) is an Indigenous man of Larrakia and Wadjigan (Northern Territory) and Ngaragi (Torres Strait Islands) descent. He grew up in Darwin and spent many school holidays camping at Bulgul on Wadjigan country with his elders and siblings. Jerome is now Chair of the Larrakia Nation Aboriginal Corporation, a community service organisation and one of the largest private sector employers of Aboriginal people in Darwin.

Jerome is also the CEO of the Northern Territory Indigenous Business Network, a member-based association that represents and advocates for Aboriginal businesses to unlock and grow Aboriginal people’s economic independence. You may also recognise Jerome as runner-up of the 2019 season of The Amazing Race, in which he participated with wife Jasmin Onus.

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“Living at Trinity College definitely contributed to the development of my leadership skills.

It was amazing to be surrounded by people from all walks of life and to learn about their cultures and religious beliefs. The experience opened my mind and taught me to be inclusive and conscious of people’s different journeys.

In 2011, I was Trinity’s Community Rep, and being on the TCAC taught me how to lead and set a vision, but also assign ownership to others and trust them to fulfil their roles. I now use those same skills as Chair of the Larrakia Nation Aboriginal Corporation, where I determine the vision of the organisation, then empower others to help us achieve our goals.

At Trinity, I was also part of the team selected to hike the Kokoda Track in 2011, which turned out to be one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life. In the same year, I was part of a group that went on a cultural immersion trip to the remote Minyerri community in the Northern Territory. Being able to travel to the NT with a group of Trinitarians and host them on my traditional land (Larrakia and Wadjigan country) was incredible and seeing other students engaging with my community made me especially proud of my culture.

Looking back, all those experiences played a part in building my confidence and shaping my leadership style, and helped me work out who I wanted to be and what I wanted to achieve.

Though I haven’t always seen myself as a leader, I have always strived to lead by example and hope that what I’m doing is impactful, supports my community and inspires others. I want people to be part of the journey I’m on and to see themselves as part of the change I want to make."