Sir Henry Parkes Memorial Public School Year 6 students Tyran Petrie and Jara Duroux endured a rigorous process to be handed all-expenses paid scholarships.

The pair was selected to benefit from the Yalari scholarship program.

Yalari is a not-for-profit organisation that offers quality, secondary education scholarships at leading Australian boarding schools for Indigenous children from regional, rural and remote communities.

“It’s a big step to move away from family. 

“The indigenous community is very tight knit but there is a lot in place to help their transition,” Sir Henry Parkes Memorial Public School teacher Hayley Coates said.

“It was a pretty gruelling application process. They had to write a 250 word essay and undergo medicals – they’re pumping a lot of money into this so it’s pretty intense,” Ms Coates said.

Tyran will attend Scots PGC College in Warwick while Jara will head to The Glennie School in Toowoomba from next year.

Tyran has aspirations to one day become an NRL player or get into sports medicine while Jara says she’d like to be a teacher.

“It’s good but scary – I don’t know anyone in Toowoomba,” Jara said.

She said the good news almost brought her to tears.

Tyran had to be woken to hear the outcome of his application.

Ms Coates praised the pair’s parents for helping them in the process.

“Jara’s pop has done well – she has a cousin who is an indigenous leader at the high school too,” Ms Coates said.

Since 2005, Yalari has been providing Indigenous children with full scholarships for their entire secondary school education.

In 2015 the program has placed 173 students on secondary school scholarships nationally and an Alumni group of 109 who are studying at universities, working or undertaking further training.