Last week we presented the third SHAPE Connect Award 2020 to Jamari Buli, a 4th year Property & Valuation student at RMIT.
As part of our Reconciliation Action Plan, the SHAPE Connect Award offers a high-achieving Indigenous student from RMIT the opportunity to gain on-the-job experience in the industry through our Building Cadet Experience and prize money of $2,500.
In an interview with Michael Manikas, General Manager of DLG SHAPE, Jamari talked about his growing passion for the field after taking up the degree.
“It’s so present in everything we do,” he said, “My primary interest was Property Development because in a way, the developers are curators of built environments and I enjoy the challenges and opportunities that the field brings.”
On winning the award, Jamari talked about his surprise in receiving recognition from RMIT.
“It was a big surprise actually,” he said, “In that third year, I just thought I had another gear that I could move into and I set myself that goal. I definitely didn’t think I’d be leading the school for academic results.”
Jamari also talked about how this experience has helped him learn more about himself and his potential. “You get to learn more about yourself, what you can achieve… (and) also the different limits you put on yourself and what you can achieve once you remove those can surprise you,” he said.
“My primary interest was Property Development because in a way, the developers are curators of built environments and I enjoy the challenges and opportunities that the field brings.”
Jamari is also involved in the Career Trackers program and emphasised how it would be helpful to Indigenous high school students looking at further study. “It gave me the real leg up and it got me through my degree,” he said.
On the program itself, he added, “It provides internship opportunities throughout your degree – you can get matched to your field of study and start getting that workplace experience. But for high school students, there are also work experience programs that allow you to get work experience prior to university.”
To read more about the work of Career Trackers, click here
We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land, sea, and skies. We’re grateful to those who have cared for, nurtured, and protected Country for future generations, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present, and emerging.
