Teegan's giving a voice to the Territory

Whether it’s sport, speech pathology or her beloved Territory, Teegan uses her many talents to amplify the voices of others.

A proud Larrakia woman, Teegan loves calling the Top End her home but understands the obstacles many remote Territorians encounter when accessing healthcare.

“Growing up in the NT is the best but we have a serious lack of health professionals,” she says.

“There are long waiting lists, long travelling distances, and a lot of the time health services don’t reach communities where the help is needed.”

With this in the back of her mind, Teegan always felt a future career in healthcare was in the cards. An interest in speech pathology came later, sparked by the realisation that communication is integral to human connection.

I chose speech pathology as communication is one of the most important aspects of a person’s life and I believe everyone is entitled to a voice and a way to express themselves.

Home and away

The lack of speech therapists in the NT was also a motivating force to get started as soon as possible, so Teegan moved to Sydney straight after high school to pursue an applied health science degree.

With such a strong connection to her country, her family and her community, Teegan admits she struggled being so far from home.

Not wanting to put her dream aside, she started looking at other options. With a stroke of luck and perfect timing, Charles Darwin University had just opened applications for their new Bachelor of Health Science/Master of Speech and Language Therapy.

Teegan saw it as a sign, and happily returned to Darwin to continue her studies at CDU.

CDU staff and especially the First Nations staff were extremely helpful with my transition to Charles Darwin University and helping me apply for RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning).

Teegan will now be in the first cohort to graduate from CDU with this master’s degree, and the first Aboriginal person to graduate with the double degree.

Reppin’ the NT

Teegan’s connection to the Territory is felt in all spaces – even athletics.

She had the honour of leading CDU’s very first team at the Indigenous Nationals in 2022.

The week-long competition sees students from universities across the country compete in touch football, netball, volleyball and basketball.

“It was an amazing week getting to know other mob and networking,” Teegan says.

When she’s not studying, you’ll often find Teegan training for football (go Jabiru Bombers!) or netball.

Teegan notes that this balance of academics and athletics has allowed her to achieve the best results.

 “For me, playing sport helps me be my strongest mentally.”

She encourages future students to make sure all the other parts of your life when studying.

“Make sure you still do the things that keep you calm and take time outside to feel refreshed.”

Inspiring future voices

Determined to see more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals working in the Territory, Teegan can’t wait to graduate and make an impact in the community that shaped her. 

I hope to contribute to giving adults and children a way to express themselves, as I believe everyone should be heard.

She wants to create an environment where people feel comfortable seeking speech pathology services and ensure those who most need help can access it.

Alongside the big impact she wants to make professionally, Teegan also hopes to serve as a role model for the next generation.

“I hope that if my mob sees what I am achieving that they, too, will believe in themselves to achieve their dreams.”

Make an impact in your community by studying Health at Charles Darwin University.