Rob Riley Memorial Prize winners announced

Two of Western Australia’s top performing Aboriginal public school students have been named recipients of the 2025 Rob Riley Memorial Prize, in recognition of their outstanding academic achievements.

The Rob Riley Memorial Prize, named after the late Aboriginal human rights advocate, is awarded to the highest achieving Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) and Vocational Education and Training (VET) Aboriginal students in Western Australian public schools.

Churchlands Senior High School graduate Sienna McLaren.

Education Minister Sabine Winton has announced Churchlands Senior High School graduate Sienna McLaren as the 2025 recipient of the ATAR prize, and Safety Bay Senior High School graduate Callum Hudman as the 2025 VET prize winner.

“I want to congratulate Sienna and Callum on being recognised for their dedication to study and training. What an incredible effort,” Education Minister Sabine Winton said.

“Both Sienna and Callum demonstrated outstanding commitment throughout their secondary schooling and are deserving of the Rob Riley Memorial Prize.

Key points

• Rob Riley Memorial Prize awarded to Sienna McLaren and Callum Hudman
• Prize recognises the highest achieving Aboriginal public school students
• Students received $5,000, a certificate and formal letter signed by the Education Minister, plus a copy of the Rob Riley biography

They each received $5,000, a certificate and formal letter signed by the Minister for Education, plus a copy of the Rob Riley biography.

Graduating with a Certificate of Distinction, Sienna plans to study at The University of Western Australia, starting with a Bachelor of Environmental Science, followed by a Master of Environmental Science.

Safety Bay Senior High School graduate Callum Hudman.

Callum completed 191 workplace learning hours and received a Certificate II in Workplace Skills, Certificate II in Engineering, and Certificate III in Business. He now plans to start an apprenticeship with Alltrax Diesel Services as a heavy diesel mechanic.

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Don Punch congratulated Sienna and Callum on their “outstanding achievement”.

“The Rob Riley Memorial Prize celebrates Aboriginal students have shown exceptional dedication and excelled in their studies,” he said.

“Sienna and Callum should be incredibly proud of what they have achieved. It’s terrific to see these young leaders setting such a strong example for others across Western Australia.”

How did you feel when you were told you won the Rob Riley award?

At first it was a total surprise, I felt real proud of myself and all my work and studies that I had completed in the last two years at school, Tafe and work placement. That now gives me the confidence that I have chosen the right career path to pursue.

What do you plan to study next?

Now that i am done school I plan to study the next 4 years in an apprenticeship course in heavy-diesel mechanics and will be getting a cert IV in heavy-duty plant mechanics from it.

What’s your dream job?

My dream job would be a job where i can travel the world, meeting new people from different places and hearing their stories, but i don’t know a job that would offer that experience to me.

Is there someone who inspired you to keep up with your studies?

I would like to thank my teachers, family, work placement co-workers and my Tafe lecturers, who always pushed me to be a better version of myself. They would never know how much it means to me that they show up everyday and strive and inspire for me to be better.

Do you have a message for other Indigenous students who are studying year 12?

Enjoy school while it lasts and make some good trustworthy friends from your school that you can hangout with when you finish, school is better than a job + study soft, work hard

“My mob is Gunaikurnai”

How did you feel when you were told you won the Rob Riley award?

I was really really stoked as winning the Rob Riley award was my biggest goal through upper school and hearing that I finally achieved my goal made all the hard work worth it. I just felt so surreal that it had actually happened.

What do you plan to study next?

I plan to study a combined bachelor and master degree of environmental science at UWA.

What’s your dream job?

I am still figuring out what exactly I want to focus on within environmental science but would love to have a job where I can try and reduce the impacts that humans have had on the environment.

Do you have a message for other Indigenous students who are studying year 12?

I really want to stress that you should strive as high as you can and challenge yourself to get better and better, and always use any resources you have as well as seek help wherever possible.”