Dancing her way to the top

Thirteen-year-old Kiahn Ladkin couldn’t believe how lucky she was when she received the news that she had been awarded a GO Foundation scholarship to help her follow her dream.

‘I really couldn’t believe it, I was so happy, excited and thankful for the opportunity,’ said Kiahn.

Kiahn, from Byron Bay High School, hopes to one day study at NAISDA dance collage just outside of Sydney, a creative learning space set up to train and inspire young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

‘This scholarship will help me in achieving my goals to study at NAISDA and one day dance with The Bangarra Dance Company and to

connect through my culture with other people that I will meet through the program,’ continued Kiahn.

The GO Foundation scholarships are designed to support Indigenous students at public schools in NSW, providing them with a combination of financial assistance, cultural mentoring, leadership training and career support to successfully complete high school and move into further education.

Michael O’Loughlin, Co-Founder of the GO Foundation said: ‘The GO Foundation is very proud to be awarding its first public school scholarships through the Public Education Foundation (PEF). The first recipients of the GO Scholarships through PEF are aspiring and hard working and we are looking forward to seeing them fly with this support.’

Byron Dance Dynamics Kate Histon has bee ‘a huge support and mentor for her,’ said Kiahn’s mother Melissa Ladkin.

The scholarship will help pay for a range of tutoring, excursions and travel expenses to help her follow her dream.

‘Our year has an amazing year advisor whom supports all of us Aboriginal students.,’ said Kiahn

‘She suggested that I apply for the GoFoundation Scholarship as I had many expenses with my commitments for extra curricular activities and school.’