The recipient of the 2019 National Study Grant Scheme for the second year in a row, student Brad Morgan is an example of how hard work and determination can help you achieve great things for yourself and your community.
The National Study Grant Scheme is available to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people who are studying a chiropractic course at an Australian University. This ACA initiative is in partnership with Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA) and is designed to encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students studying chiropractic to complete their studies and join the allied health profession.
Brad Morgan is not your stereotypical university student. He has had many and varying careers over his life, entering university as a mature aged student all while supporting a family and making a positive contribution to his community, proving that he is the prime candidate for the National Study Grant Scheme.
“This will be my fourth long term career in 27 years of working. My first three were a diesel mechanic, a police officer and an automotive TAFE lecturer. I also completed a personal training course in 2002 which sparked my interest in the human body and health. Since then I had the goal of working in the health field, but I needed to wait for the right time to be able to study,” Brad said.
“I felt that within the allied health field chiropractic had the strongest foundation and greatest scope to help people and as a chiropractor I feel there is a good opportunity to work with other health professions and serve the community.”
His community work was part of the reason Brad received the grant, however the impact this has on his family is far greater. Moving to Mackay QLD from WA so Brad could begin his chiropractic studies at Central Queensland University, his wife went back to full time work and he took over the duties at home, staying with their five young children. With only one income for the family of seven, a grant such as this has gone a long way in helping the family and furthering Brad’s studies.
“As time went on in my degree, finances got tighter and tighter, so I started applying for scholarships. After receiving the ACA grant all of a sudden thing were available to me like equipment for the courses, textbooks, a portable chiropractic table, different online courses etc. That extra income has made a big different to my family and me.”
Outside of his family, one of Brad’s passions is the health of his community and spreading the message of chiropractic. Through Brad’s different careers he began working closely with Aboriginal people and disengaged Aboriginal youth, seeing the large gap in Aboriginal health and the effect that has on communities. Brad believes grass roots education and early interventions are an important key to these issues and can go a long way to alleviating these issues.
“I look around and I see so many people that could benefit from basic exercise, basic training, basic movement, and health information, but I’m also aware that most people don’t understand what is available to them.”
With under representation of indigenous allied health professionals within the field, another one of Brad’s goals after finishing his course is to visit schools in rural and indigenous communities and sharing his story to encourage students that a future in the profession is achievable.
He also hopes to bring chiropractic to these communities to care for people, through mobile clinics and outreach programs, spreading the benefits of not only receiving chiropractic care, but being involved in the profession, in order to give back to the community.
Brad would like to encourage other students to apply for scholarships and grants available to them, easing finical burdens and ‘making them a better practitioner at the end of the day’.
“Thank you to ACA and IAHA. I am forever grateful, and this has certainly helped more than you would believe. Knowing that that support is available to aboriginal people is huge.”