Broncos inspire Harristown girls to achieve in life on and off the field

A group of 60 Indigenous Harristown High School students have received inspiring life advice from their footy idols.

BEYOND BRONCOS: Indigenous students at Harristown State High School attended a workshop with Broncos stars as part of the Beyond the Broncos Girls Academy (from left) Hayleigh Waters, Tahmia Duncan, Bronco’s captain Ali Brigginshaw and aspiring Broncos player, Chloe Gray. Picture: Bev Lacey

Toowoomba students had the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of their sporting idols when Broncos legends, Ali Brigginshaw, Scott Prince and Justin Hodges came to Harristown High this week.

60 Indigenous female students were able to participate in the Beyond the Broncos Girls Academy, a Brisbane Broncos initiative to assist with educational opportunities

for Indigenous girls, with the interactive workshop program aiming to improve school attendance, increase confidence and fostering leadership.

Beyond the Broncos Girls Academy came to Harristown State High School on Friday with league legends like Scott Prince leading workshops on study management, building good habits and the importance of attending and finishing high school.

Year 12 student and keen rugby league player, Chloe Gray said she initially felt nervous and a little intimidated being in the company of her sporting hero, Ali Brigginshaw.

“Ali is someone I’ve definitely looked up to for a long time and meeting her today has made me even more passionate about playing for the Broncos, something I’ve wanted to do since I was younger, and I was watching Scotty and Justin on TV,” she said.

With more than 1,700 female students from Year 7 to 12 are currently enrolled in the Academy, 57 students across Toowoomba have graduated from the program and gone onto tertiary education or secured work in the local community.

Fellow Harristown High students Tahmia Duncan and Hayleigh Waters said the workshop’s focusing on creating and setting good habits for school study and life in general was beneficial.

“I’m hoping to study to be a teacher after high school and I know if I create good study habits now, my future education is going to be a lot smoother,” senior student Ms Waters said.

“It’s also been rewarding to share information about our cultural heritage and discuss the importance of our people’s identity and getting to know all of the girls better and developing a connection as a group of young Indigenous women.”

“The workshops has been a big confidence booster for a lot of us and I think it’s something everyone will remember and talk about for a long time,” Year 11 student Tahmia Duncan said.

Ali Brigginshaw during the Indigenous students workshop at Harristown State High School with Broncos stars at the first Beyond the Broncos Girls Academy event for 2021.

Bronco’s captain and aspiring teacher Ms Brigginshaw said one of the reasons she was committed to delivering firm but fair life lessons in the classroom was so that more young women don’t end up making the same schooling mistakes she did.

“Unfortunately I did make a few mistakes when I was at school and focused too much of my time solely on sport and now I’m thinking of how I can go back and study because sport isn’t everything, you need something else to fall back on,” she said.

“This is the message I try to really push to all the girls in our programs, you need to make school your number one priority and then you can put time into your sports and other activities.

“I tell all of the girls I mentor and speak to that getting a grade 12 certificate and finishing high school is the most important thing right now, everything else comes second.”

Year 11 Harristown State High School student Tahmia Duncan said the workshops with the Broncos was a big confidence booster for her. Pictures: Bev Lacey

The proud Ipswich girl said she is hoping to studying teaching in the near future and hopes to remain in her hometown after her football career concludes so that she can continue to mentor the next generations at Ipswich State High.

“I want all the girls here today to know it doesn’t matter where you’re from, it doesn’t matter if you’re from Harristown, Cunnamulla – wherever you’re from, you can go and do anything you want to do but it starts at school.”