General News
5 December, 2025
A-grade prize
INNISFAIL year 12 student Mia Terry is the inaugural recipient of an Indigenous engineering scholarship, providing $20,000 a year, mentoring and work placement while studying engineering at university.
The scholarship is provided by Silica Resources Australia and Jabin with Silica managing director Rob Tindall said Ms Terry was “an outstanding recipient”.
“Along with her academic achievements, Mia was elected by her peers to be a college leader at Good Counsel College. She has a strong dance and performance background, along with volunteering in the community,” he said.
“Silica Resources Australia believes in being a part of the community and ensuring the benefits from the Mourilyan silica sands project flow locally.
“We play an important role in fostering the skills of the next generation of leaders. Partnering with Jabin, an Indigenous-owned and founded engineering consultancy, will give Mia the opportunity to be mentored and work with other Indigenous engineers.”
Jabin founder and co-director Dennis Jose said as a former Innisfail student, “I’m really proud to be able to partner with Silica Resources Australia and offer this opportunity to the next generation of Cassowary Coast Indigenous engineers”.
“As part of the scholarship, Jabin will provide mentoring and work placement for Mia while she studies her degree at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane and during university holidays,” he said.
“When you grow up in a small town, it is sometimes not easy to move to a big city for university and Jabin hopes to be able to support Mia with this transition.”
Good Counsel College deputy principal Elizabeth Sutton said the college was “delighted that one of our students is the inaugural recipient of this scholarship”.
“As a college leader, Mia has developed her leadership skills and no doubt, will inspire the students younger than her, not just at Good Counsel, but across the Cassowary Coast, to consider studying engineering and applying for the scholarship in future years.”
Ms Terry, a proud Mamu and Malanburra Yidinji woman, said the financial support provided by the scholarship “will significantly help me and my family to cover the costs of moving to Brisbane to study”.
“It will allow me to focus on my studies, while covering my living costs and I sincerely thank SRA and Jabin for the opportunity,” she said.
Read More: Innisfail