Stars Alumna and a proud Yolngu woman who grew up in Northeast Arnhem Land, Siena Mayutu Wurmarri Stubbs graduated from Nhulunbuy High School, NT, in 2019.
As the Co-School Captain and a final nominee for the NT Young Australian of the Year, Stars Mentors and peers cheered her on. Following graduation, Siena then also became the youngest ever winner of the prestigious 2020 Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA).
A 2024 article by Queensland University of Technology (QUT), celebrated that Siena has since completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Film, Screen and New Media) at QUT. While Siena initially she found it challenging moving interstate, she took solace in knowing she is doing her community proud on her journey to fulfill her aspirations of becoming a successful female film director.
Looking ahead, Siena hopes to continue travelling across Australia to share Aboriginal stories, with aspirations to collaborate with well-known Indigenous Australian media outlets such as NITV.
Siena recalls that when she was about 14, something changed when a few new faces walked through the secondary school’s front gates and over time Stars became like a second family.
“Seeing Stars come in, that was the time that I felt like I had a space in the school that was committed to recognising my culture and seeing it represented in my school community, rather than those being two separate spaces,” Siena said.
“You just knew the Stars team were there when you needed them. It was so important knowing that there was someone in my corner, an extra support system that I knew was pushing me along the way in my education journey.
“I don’t know if I would’ve made it this far without Stars. The Stars Mentors wanted the best for me, and they were there all the way to see me get that certificate, graduate Year 12 and be pushed out into the real world.
“It makes me so happy because I know that there’s a safe space for young girls like me who can feel encouraged to come to school, so that they can get that education to live in both worlds too.”