Melbourne Polytechnic is proud to announce Bradley Lawler as the Outstanding Indigenous Student of the Year 2025, recognising his exceptional dedication to education support and his transformative impact on young people's lives.
Bradley's path to success demonstrates the power of perseverance and finding your true calling. In 2019, he began a Bachelor of Education at university, but life presented unexpected challenges when his partner suffered a cardiac arrest. With a young family to support, Bradley made the difficult decision to leave his studies and return to the workforce.
Rather than letting this setback define him, Bradley used it as motivation to find a better path forward. In late 2023, he made a plan to pursue his studies through a different route and embarked on a vocational training pathway by enrolling in Certificate III in School Based Education Support CHC30221.
Starting the Certificate III in School Based Education Support CHC30221 in February 2024, Bradley quickly found his placement at a local high school. What began as a stepping-stone toward teaching became something much more meaningful. Within his first week, Bradley realised that while teachers work incredibly hard teaching to a class as a group, his passion lay in providing one-on-one support to students.
"I really enjoy that one-on-one support that I was providing towards the students," Bradley explains. "Not just academically, but the social and emotional and capacity building that these kids always wanted and needed."
This revelation set Bradley on his current path, completing his Certificate IV in School Based Education Support CHC40221 while beginning his Diploma of Community Services CHC52021 - a pathway toward a Bachelor of Social Work.
Bradley's approach to student support goes beyond traditional academic assistance. He understands that struggling students are often seeking connection above all else. Drawing on his own experiences, he identifies with students who feel disengaged or marginalised.
"The kids that are struggling are just seeking connection," Bradley reflects. "That child in me, you know, the one that was still in year nine and ten 20 years ago, saw that quite easily in a lot of students."
His method involves working at each student's level, understanding their goals and building meaningful relationships. Whether helping a student transition to trade studies, improve in mathematics or English, or develop emotional awareness to prevent classroom outbursts, Bradley's impact extends far beyond his official responsibilities.
Bradley's educational philosophy centers on recognising that there is no single approach to learning or supporting young people. His experience has taught him that rigidity fails where acceptance and embracing different perspectives succeed.
"Different experiences, different events, different ways of doing thinking almost lead to a better scenario or a better outcome," he notes. "There's no rigid way of doing things. It's different with every individual and it's different with every scenario and all environments."
This Outstanding Indigenous Student of the Year award represents more than academic achievement - it celebrates Bradley's commitment to making a real difference in young people's lives. His journey from having to change his university study plans to award-winning student demonstrates that there are many ways to find the right path. Congratulations, Bradley - a bright future helping others on their own learning journey awaits!
Melbourne Polytechnic’s Education courses develop industry-ready graduates ready to contribute to the education sector in schools and other organisations.