CareerTrackers is a national not-for-profit organisation that aims to provide support to First Nations university students, linking them to long-term paid, multi-year internships and employment opportunities during their studies and upon graduation.
Students complete their degrees with “high marks, industry experience, and bright futures”. The organisation has “supported over 9,000 internships,”, and has an alumni of 1,200 Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander professionals who are connected to “world-class employment and university partners” according to their website.
From the 4th to the 6th of February 2026, CareerTrackers held a three-day program including their Leadership Development Institute (LDI), the National Gala Awards Dinnerand the National Alumni Conference. The series of events was to “strengthen pathways from university to career success, community contribution and leadership, and to showcase First Nations excellence on the national and global stage”.
They hosted Civil Rights Leader and Global Humanitarian, Martin Luther King III, at all three events. They mentioned on their webpage, “Mr King’s presence will amplify First Nations voices, inspire a new generation of Indigenous professionals and celebrate the partnership between students, universities and employers”.
On the first day of the program, they hosted the LDI at the Sydney Olympic Park, Wangal Country, which is a mandatory program for all interns and a part of the CareerTrackers’ curriculum.
Some of the program’s attendees were Western students or graduates. Catherine Lambeth, who completed a Bachelor of Criminology in 2018, now works for the NSW Department of Communities and Justice and is a current post-grad student at WSU.
Anastasia Vickers completed a Bachelor of Advanced Science (Food Science and Nutrition) in 2020, and her work involves educating high school students about native ingredients and Aboriginal culture, according to an article by Nicole Brown in the National Indigenous Times (NIT). The article also states that Badanami at Western, CSIRO Young Indigenous Women’s STEM Academy and CareerTrackers have aided Vickers in her career. “These networks have shown me that there’s no single path into a STEM career”, she said.
The second day of the program took place at the International Convention Centre in Darling Harbour, Gadigal Country, where the National Gala Awards Dinner was held. The Gala hosted welcomed industry professionals, Aboriginal community leaders, CareerTrackers’ alumni, current interns and partners. There were approximately 1,260 attendees altogether.
The event started with a Welcome to Country from Aunty Barb Simms Keeley, a Bidigal and Gweagal Elder. She is known for her work within the health sector, specifically at the Guriwal Aboriginal Corporation, where she supported Elders within the La Perouse area. Aunty Barb also acknowledged Indigenous sovereignty on a global scale and made a special mention for the First Nations people of the lands which Canada, America and New Zealand colonised and settled. The dinner also began with an Indigenous dance and song.
The event was partially chaired by CareerTrackers’ CEO Adam Davis, a proud Aboriginal man and Fulbright scholar. The Australian-American Fulbright Commission offers scholarships to Australian citizens at a multitude of academic and career stages. Western can assists students in receiving Fulbright scholarships for postgraduate studies. To read more on this, please click here.
“This week, CareerTrackers has brought together hundreds of Indigenous university students and alumni from all corners of the country…What has stood out to me are the interns who are finishing their final days of their summer internship. Their expectation and tenacity. The camaraderie between them and their sense of belonging in spaces that were not always open to our people,” said Davis in his speech at the Gala.
Tully Mahr, a Gundungurra woman and a CareerTrackers intern at Qantas, studying a Master of Mechanical Engineering specialising in aerospace at the University of Melbourne, was announced to be the Intern of the Year at the Gala.
When speaking about her thesis, Mahr said, “for my master’s degree, I’m looking at repurposing parts from decommissioned aircraft out in Alice Springs with Indigenous communities. So, the idea there is that when the aircraft is decommissioned… a lot of the parts and materials end up in landfill…So, the goal of our project is to work in collaboration with the Indigenous community,”.
Manny Bell, legal counsel at Commonwealth Bank, received the Alumni Excellence award, presented by Martin Luther King III at the Gala. Bell said on his LinkedIn post, “This award recognises CareerTrackers Alumni who are excelling in their field, leading with purpose, and creating opportunities for others while giving back to community. To be acknowledged in this way is something I don’t take lightly. CareerTrackers has played a significant role in my journey, not just professionally, but personally. The support, opportunities, and community have shaped how I think about leadership and responsibility.”
The Gala Dinner concluded with a speech from Martin Luther King III, whose work helped shape CareerTrackers. Kings presence was of a particular significance as Careertrackers own organisational model was based on the U.S INROADS Program, of which was founded after its founders became inspired by the historic “I have a Dream” speech delivered by Mr Kings famed father, Martin Luther King Jnr. This was the foundation to the establishment of CareerTrackers by Michael Combs in 2009, as stated in the media backgrounder for the Legacy & Leadership Tour to Australia.
