Gloria Hill is making waves in the NSW Department of Corrective Services, and for all the right reasons.
She became the NSW Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year at the 2008 Training Awards in Sydney last week, after being named as the regional winner in July.
Gloria was nominated by the Brush Farm Corrective Services Custodial Training Unit and received the honour for her ongoing commitment to education and training. The ceremony was a glamorous affair held in the Grand Hall of Sydney’s Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Seated amongst the assistant commissioner for human resources and three superintendents from the academy, Gloria said it was a giant thrill to be part of such a significant event.
“It was absolutely wonderful,” she said.
“I was on a buzz, it was like being at the Logies.
“I’ve never been to anything like it.”
But Gloria’s journey hasn’t all been about the glitz and glamour. She has put in the hard yards, working in some tough jobs and putting extra effort into study and training to get where she is today.
Gloria began her career with corrective services in 1996 as a welfare officer at Lithgow Correctional Centre. She went on to become the Aboriginal community liaison officer in the infamous suburb of Redfern in Sydney, a place she described as a ‘political hotspot’.
Gloria then became a field officer in the NSW Aboriginal prison support unit at Redfern and St Mary’s. Along the way, she completed a Diploma in Legal Advocacy at the Tranby Aboriginal College and a Diploma in Indigenous Community Studies and Welfare at the University of Western Sydney. She also spent five years with the Aboriginal Legal Service.
Gloria is now one of only a handful of Aboriginal officers at the Wellington Correctional Centre after being one of 76 trainee officers to complete the 10-week training program. She graduated in September 2007 and in 12 months has already completed Certificate III in Correctional Practice.
Gloria said the Wellington facility’s management has been very supportive of her additional study and is pleased to be able to use her skills and knowledge in the town where she grew up.
“It’s good to come home back to Wellington,” she said. “And I want to thank the staff for their support.
“Also, a lot of the inmates are Aboriginal people from this area so it’s good to establish cultural harmony through administration and program support.”
Modest in her approach, Gloria works hard, defies stereotypes and is passionate about education.
She wants to encourage others to better themselves.
“If I can do it, anyone can,” she said.
“I look at where I am – I always felt I’d never get to a higher level, but here I am.”
“I want to be a role model to others.”
As for the recognition, Gloria is positively glowing and is proud to be among the list of indigenous award recipients.
“I’ve received so much respect from both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people, it’s given me a big boost,” she said.
“It’s also good to see other Aboriginal people trying to make a difference and making something of themselves.”
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