By Casey Jo Drummond, CEO of Madalah
There’s something powerful about knowing where you’ve come from, understanding what it took to get here and being able to see, with absolute clarity, where you want to go next.
I’ve been part of Madalah for years, and in that time, I’ve watched this organisation grow, evolve and become part of the lives of some remarkable people. I’ve seen students find their feet in unfamiliar environments, alumni return with stories of everything they’ve achieved, and a community continue to show what can happen when people are connected by something greater than themselves.
And after stepping into the role of CEO, I’ve found myself looking at all of that with a renewed sense of ambition. Not because Madalah needs to become something entirely different, but because I know what we’ve already built. I know the people behind it, the history that has shaped it and the strength that exists within our community.
And I believe we’re only beginning to see what that strength can achieve.
A Different Conversation
For years, we’ve spoken about First Nations education through the language of closing the gap. While I understand the importance of measuring progress, I’ve often wondered what that language says about the way we see ourselves.
A gap suggests distance. Two sides. A place we’re standing and another we’re expected to reach. But our people have never been defined by that distance. We have our own knowledge, our own history, our own measures of success and generations of strength behind us. Our young people aren’t starting from nothing, and they aren’t waiting for someone else to decide what they’re capable of.
I don’t want us to spend the next generation measuring how far we are from someone else’s standard. I want us to be part of setting the standard. Our ambition isn’t to close the distance. It’s to change the conversation entirely.
I want that thinking to be reflected in everything we do, from the expectations we set to the way we speak about our students and celebrate their achievements. Because excellence shouldn’t be something we treat as a surprise when it comes from our community. It should be something we recognise, expect and continue to build upon.
Knowing Our History. Owning Our Future.
As we introduce Madalah’s refreshed identity, I’ve been thinking about what it means to carry an organisation’s history forward. For me, it’s deeply personal. Our old people made sacrifices that shaped the choices available to us today. Their determination created pathways that previous generations could only imagine, and I don’t think we can ever separate our ambitions for the future from the people who made them possible. That history is part of who we are.
It’s reflected in our families, our communities and the relationships that have sustained Madalah over the years. It’s in the people who have given their time, shared their knowledge, challenged our thinking and remained connected long after their formal involvement has ended.
Our refreshed identity is an expression of that connection and continuity. It’s an opportunity to present Madalah in a way that reflects the strength, confidence and maturity of the organisation we’ve become, without losing the character that has always made us who we are. As we continue to grow, I want us to become more deliberate about the stories we share.
Not simply reporting on what we’ve done but giving our community a greater voice in the conversations that matter. Sharing the experiences of our alumni, the perspectives of our students and the ideas shaping the future of First Nations education. Behind every scholarship is a person with their own history, their own ambitions and a story that deserves to be told properly.
Imagine Where We Could Be
When I think about Madalah in five or ten years, I don’t measure our future simply by how much bigger we could become. I think about who could be leading us. I imagine a former Madalah student sitting in the CEO’s chair. Another chairing our board. Alumni guiding our student support programs, influencing education policy and making decisions informed by their own experiences. I think about what it would mean for a young student to walk into Madalah and see someone who once stood exactly where they are now, leading the organisation. That’s the future I want us to work towards.
I also want Madalah to keep challenging the systems that leave young people without the support they need. Whether that’s exploring transitional accommodation, strengthening our advocacy or establishing a greater presence in the Northern Territory and Queensland, there’s room for us to think boldly about the difference we can make. And I want our alumni to be part of those decisions.
Because the people who have experienced our programs, built their own lives and gone on to achieve their ambitions have knowledge that should help shape what comes next. One day, I hope the people leading Madalah will be the very people we once supported.
More Than a Scholarship
For all my ambitions about where Madalah could go, there’s something I never want us to lose. The feeling of being part of a community that knows you. I want our students to remember Madalah as a place where they were understood, challenged and expected to give their best. Somewhere they could be themselves, build lasting relationships and know that their ambitions were taken seriously.
For students living away from home, I want that connection to feel especially strong. A community they can turn to, people who know their story and a sense of belonging that doesn’t disappear when their schooling ends.
Some will return as mentors. Others will lead in business, health, education, government or their own communities. Some may take Madalah in directions none of us have imagined yet. Whatever they choose, I want them to know this organisation will always be part of their story, just as they’ll always be part of ours.
The Story We’re Writing Together
As we move into this next chapter, there’s a lot I’m excited about. A refreshed identity. New conversations. A stronger platform for sharing the voices and experiences of our community. And an opportunity to look beyond what we’ve already achieved towards what we want to build next.
But what excites me most isn’t the change itself. It’s knowing the people who will shape it.
I’ve spent years seeing what our students, alumni and community are capable of. Stepping into the role of CEO hasn’t changed what I believe in. It’s strengthened my determination to see just how far we can take it. Our old people helped create the foundations we stand on today. What we build from here is our responsibility, and I want the next generation to have an even greater say in what that looks like.
One day, I hope the young people whose stories we’re sharing today will be the ones making decisions, leading conversations and writing Madalah’s next chapter.
And when that day comes, I hope they take us somewhere we haven’t even imagined yet.
Casey Jo Drummond
CEO, Madalah