As the rest of her cohort was graduating, Shawna Pope was on a different stage of her own.
She leaned towards the mic, starting her address to the United Nations.
Speaking in Geneva as part of the annual panel discussion on the rights of Indigenous Peoples , she argued that systemic failures in Australia's justice system were inextricably linked to the erosion of land rights and cultural heritage.
"These tragedies are inseparable from systematic failures in the justice system and broader human rights concerns, including the protection of land and cultural heritage," Shawna told the assembly.
The Wakka Wakka and Wulli Wulli woman is passionate, knowledgeable and driven - perfect qualities for someone who is growing their profile as a capable and respected advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights.
Shawna with the Special Rapporteur of Indigenous Peoples
From Mundubbera to London
Having left home to travel overseas, Shawna was living in London when she experienced what she described as a "wake-up call".
"As an Indigenous woman, I'm connected to my home country," she says.
"I got physically sick - I realised how much a I missed parts of Australia that I used to ground my nervous system.
I had to come home."
Growing up in the tiny Queensland town of Mundubbera - about four hours northwest of Brisbane - Shawna's grandparents died before she had a chance to know them.
Coming from a big family, this left an impact on her.
"Because I lost my grandparents very young, I lost a lot of their identity too.
"I didn't get to ask them questions that I have always wondered so I went on a bit of a deep dive into my family's history."
What she found of course was injustice - much of which was carried out under Queensland's Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act 1897 , along with its various iterations that followed.
"They were basically policed their whole lives," Shawna says about her grandparents.
"As children, they never would have gotten to experience a childhood. Yet, just two generations on, I can make enough money to support myself. I can travel the world.
"I'm very grateful for that."
The so-called Protection Act caused widespread and generational damage, including from harmful policies such as the removal of children from their families, resulting in the Stolen Generation .
Even to get married, Shawna's grandparents would have needed permission from Queensland's Chief Protector of Aborigines - a legal requirement that was in place until the 1960s.
The path to advocacy
Shawna has always had a natural inclination for human rights. But that is not what attracted her to university - it was business.
"I thought this would be more likely to open up other opportunities to me," she says.
She was right - after starting an Indigenous-led sustainability and cultural strategy consultancy called the Wandara Collective, she was invited by the UN to speak at the 60th Session of the Human Rights Council.
"When it was my moment to speak, I was nervous," Shawna says. "But I was very lucky because they really pushed for Australia to be heard."
Politics and International Relations senior lecturer, Dr Shannon Brincat , who taught Shawna for her International Justice and Human Rights course, says speaking at UN is a tremendous achievement.
"The Council is a significant global platform for addressing and documenting human rights concerns," Dr Brincat says.
"The adoption of resolutions from these sessions help establish mandates, investigative mechanisms and can influence policy changes that aim to improve human rights.
"It is crucial Australia is represented in that conversation.
"What Shawna achieved should be acknowledged and celebrated."
Shawna (left) with other members with the Special Rapporteur of Indigenous Peoples
If you look at her resume, Shawna has laid the foundations for a solid career blending business and human rights.
Apart from graduating with her Bachelor of Business (Management) degree, she has worked at the Australian Human Rights Commission , founded her own consultancy and is now working at the Redfern Legal Centre , leading initiatives to ensure services are accessible and culturally appropriate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
"I potentially want to get into law in my future," Shawna says.
"In my final year of university, I became really attached to the academic sort of sphere because it pushed me to do more and learn more about my own culture that sometimes I didn't even think I could.
"But my goal is to revitalize my culture and rebuild the community."
With a foundation like Shawna has built, this will be a journey worth following.
