Alumni and Supporters

Bachelor of Education (2018)

Walking into her very first lecture on her first day of university, it was obvious that Mikayla King was a young person eager to learn.

And from that day on, learning has been a huge part of Mikayla’s life – both as a student and a teacher.

Since graduating from ECU with a Bachelor of Education in 2018, the proud Kalkadoon and Indjalandi-Dhidhanu woman whose family originates from Mount Isa, Queensland has accomplished a great deal, combining her two passions of teaching and learning as well as starting her own business.

“Given that education is a collaborative role, I think it's really important that we position ourselves both as the teacher but also as the learner in our professional careers,” Mikayla says.

“Since completing my Bachelor of Education studies at ECU I transitioned into a full-time classroom teaching role, where I was able to gain a lot of information and insights into what my role is as a teacher and what the bigger purpose is, and contribution to my community.

“And then throughout that time I also realised that I would like to further my knowledge and understanding in education, and in particular Aboriginal education.”

Her passion for Aboriginal education led to the creation of her own business, sharing her knowledge at conferences and schools across the country.

“Half-way through my Bachelor of Education at Edith Cowan University I started my business, Aboriginal Education Solutions,” Mikayla explains. “And that was as a result of teachers needing professional learning outside of cultural awareness training. So what does it mean once you've attended a cultural awareness session? What does that mean in terms of how you consider pedagogy, how you consider curriculum, classroom leadership, student support and all of those things.

“It's sharing my knowledge with teachers in terms of how we can develop responsive practices of being in the classroom.”

"That's what I really enjoy. Sharing my knowledge, supporting people to understand each other and working towards an Australia where we all feel welcome.”

“I've had the honour of sharing the classroom with many Aboriginal students throughout my teaching career and when I consider what my impact is through children being able to see themselves represented as the teacher, but also in having their knowledges and languages affirmed - I think that's really important,” she says. “But I also advocate for non-Aboriginal teachers working alongside us. So I feel really proud of my contribution to educators, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, in terms of how we develop responsive practices for all children.

“But when I consider my own professional career, I feel really inspired by the children who see themselves in me because they walk 10 steps taller.”

Mikayla credits her time studying at ECU for helping her get to where she is now. She made the most of every opportunity that came her way, from receiving the Vice Chancellor’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander scholarship to contributing to published articles.

“Doing my Bachelor of Education at ECU has given me a really strong foundation of skills, knowledge, networks and experiences where I feel confident to go into my career and accelerate quite quickly,” Mikayla says. “The scholarship that I received was in my second year of study and it really affirmed my place at university, not only financially but in ensuring that I knew that I belonged as a student at the university.

“I built amazing relationships with the lecturers and academic team in the School of Education at ECU, and I felt so inspired by their commitment to education - both in their roles at ECU, but also externally in voluntary roles that supported and advocated for children across the nation.

“And I felt really proud to be a part of the team here. And whilst I loved the lectures and getting to know my colleagues, the opportunities were really special.

“Being an ECU alumni makes me feel like I'm part of a strong collective of committed people who are interested in driving towards an equitable future for all Australians.

“And I also feel proud in particular to be an alumni of the School of Education because of our strong history of teacher education, but also our success and high quality of teachers.”

Going on to complete her Masters of Aboriginal Studies and now working towards a PhD, when she’s not teaching or studying Mikayla is involved in community and volunteer work, further enhancing her standing as a role model.

“When I was thinking about all of my external professional and personal roles within my community, I was thinking what is it about them that I love? And what is it about them that is really similar? And I realised that all of them are teaching roles, funnily enough.

“So that's what I really enjoy, is sharing my knowledge, supporting people to understand each other and working towards an Australia where we all feel welcome.”