WAAPA’s first Aboriginal Musical Theatre student has been recognised for his contribution to the ATSI community.

Jarrod Draper has been named the recipient of the 2017 Edith Cowan University Vice-Chancellor’s Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Scholarship. Awarded in recognition of his academic excellence and contribution to the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community, Draper’s scholarship is worth $2,500 per semester until the completion of his degree. In the second year of his course, Draper is a Wiradjuri man from central New South Wales and the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts’ first Aboriginal Musical Theatre student.

“Being the first Indigenous man to be accepted into the Musical Theatre course at WAAPA is my biggest personal achievement,” he said.

For Draper, studying at WAAPA is a dream come true, and he hopes it may encourage others to take the plunge in their own chosen fields. “I have always been encouraged by my parents to follow my dreams and be proud of my Indigenous heritage. Encouraging and promoting education within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities is important because education creates empowerment. Education makes us all equal and opens up unbelievable and achievable opportunities, such as attending WAAPA”, he said.

In order to...