Past graduates

Deanna Portwood - 2022 

Deanna has been a student at CAPS for nine years.  She appreciates the Christian education she was able to get, along with being close to home.  Her friends motivate her to do well. Some of her favourite activities throughout her years at CAPS were participating in the IT classes and helping out with leadership of younger students.  

After graduation she hopes to get a job at the rec center in Coolgardie, helping with activities for kids and special or holiday events.  When asked about how God has influenced her life, Deanna explained, “God has helped me to choose the right paths and to not let myself get down.  He has also helped me to look after others.”

Wilfred Goonack - 2022

Wilfred has been a student at CAPS for three and a half years.  His relatives were CAPS students and encouraged him to do the same.  He has felt strong family support for his education.  His favourite classes at CAPS were maths and art history.  One of his favorite activities was when the students and teachers played volleyball in the quad.  

After graduation he plans to have a break for several months and then attend university in Perth, where his uncle is studying, perhaps pursuing a degree in law or medicine.  He is also considering the arts program at Edith Cowan University.  If he could share advice with younger students he would say, “Have patience and enjoy the ride during your school years.  Have fun and make lots of good memories.”

Mary Caetano - 2022

Mary has been a student at CAPS for two years. She feels she benefitted from the mainstream education and the support of her friends.  She is glad she is fulfilling the expectations of both herself and her family through graduation.   While at CAPS she enjoyed sports, helping with younger students, and taking on a leadership role.

Mary is unsure of future plans after graduation, due to her family moving to Mozambique.  She knows she will take one day at a time and advises younger students to do the same.  “Don’t let yourself get down or upset; all the hard work is worth it in the end.”  Mary didn’t really expect to get to graduation and gives credit to the good people in her life and to God’s support.  Her Christian parents have been a strong influence.  “God helps me to get through the rough times in life and to look past the meanness in people to find a deeper understanding of them.  God is always with me.”

Nyheemah Cox  graduate 2019

Nyheemah came to CAPS as a Yr 9 student. She was recently nominated for a Science award and will be heading to USA to represent Australia in an international science competition. 

Nyheemah's favourite subject was health and she wants to improve lives in her community as an Aboriginal health worker.

Nyheemah's project sought to identify antimicrobial activity in three different bush plants, to test and validate their healing properties and to support their use in treating minor ailments in small communities who don't have access to medical supplies.

Hadassah Simelolo graduate 2015

--“My motivation for getting an education came from home; I’m thankful for my supportive family. Although my parents always expected that university would follow secondary school for me, going to uni was something that I always knew I wanted to do.”
--“I liked English and science, as well as human biology, in school; many people (teachers, family, friends) who had achieved their goals through following the higher education pathway inspired me to pursue my dreams; I also wanted to try new experiences.”
--“My advice to students today is not to take education for granted; take the opportunity for education seriously.  If you aim high and work hard, you can achieve anything.”
--“I felt privileged to attend CAPS; it strengthened my values and taught me about God’s influence in my life.  He is an important part of all my life and His guidance is how I get through challenges; He is always there to give me courage, strength and to provide peace.”

Hadassah is currently in her second year of a nursing program at the University of Notre Dame in Perth.  She has always enjoyed helping and caring for others, taking inspiration as she was growing up from an adult friend who helped in her community through her nursing skills.  After graduation, Hadassah plans to practice nursing as part of the Australian Defence Force.

Tori-Ann Banks graduate 2015

--“I always thought I’d finish school; I respected my teachers, but I knew I wanted to graduate for myself.”
--“My favourite subject was maths; I focused on maths and English because they are the basic skills for getting a job.”
--“Music motivated me to believe in myself.”
--“God may allow us at times to hit rock bottom, to show us He's the rock at the bottom.” (from Kirk Franklin) “This means to me that when things get hard we can always reflect on God being in control.” 

Tori attended Youth with a Mission, a Discipleship program in Perth. She has completed Certificate 3, which included three months of study and three months of outreach.  She travelled to East Timor, Jakarta, and Bali, where she helped build houses, taught English, played soccer, and ministered to many people.  Soon she will be working on the second level of training, which includes improving self-esteem.  She hopes to build on her previous experience and learn more about how to help others. 

Peninnah Javapro graduate 2014

--“My parents are my greatest motivation; they are both teachers so from a young age I was interested in education.  As a child, I wanted to be just like my dad!”
--“In year 11 at CAPS we visited universities in Perth, which encouraged me to start planning for the future.”
--“Kurtis Leslie was a strong influence in my time at CAPS, both in my basketball involvement and in academics.”
--“Daily prayer and Bible reading are my strength.  Keeping God first in my life is a privilege.  Whenever I have challenges in life, I ask God for guidance.”
--“My best advice for students today is to never give up.  Life will have tough times, but finish what you start and pursue your passion.”
--“The biggest change I see today is in technology; students have so much more access to information than I had.” 

Peninnah is now in her 2nd year at Murdoch University, where she is pursuing a primary education degree. Currently, she plays on the national Papua New Guinea women's basketball team.

Jaylon Tucker graduate 2011

--"My earliest motivation was seeing people who struggled; I didn't want the same for myself and realized I should start thinking about my future."

--"My family has all been involved with CAPS, and I knew it was especially important to my grandfather.  I wanted to contribute positively to my family."

--“My advice to students today is ‘deal with it’! Don't worry; your effort in school is worth it.  I have mates who didn't finish year 12 and now have to return to school to finish."

--“I have always felt God with me; He has helped me in my journey.  I found my love of music through Him; He gives me strength and calms me when I'm dealing with stress."

Jaylon is training in music recording and production.  He completed a course in Brisbane and is now at the SAE Institute in Perth; he will finish the current course in Dec. and may go on for a Bachelor's Degree.  He hopes to make his own music or work for a label, making music for other artists.

Rowena Leslie graduate 1994

--“As a child I was motivated by my grandfather’s and my mum’s achievements; I wanted to ‘take the next step’ in following their example.”
--“When I was first interviewed by Mr. Hutchinson, the maths teacher at CAPS, I was nervous and gave him the wrong answer on a placement test.  I wanted to prove myself to him by doing well in school.”
--“I was also motivated by Mr. Tang, who taught English.  He provided new opportunities to be creative through school competitions.”
--“I gave my heart to the Lord when I was 12, and I have always felt His presence in my life. He shows His love for me and has always taken care of me.”
--“Today’s students should know and believe they are loved, they are worthy.”

Rowena attended the University of Western Australia in Perth, earning an Arts degree in English and History, and a Law degree.  She also participated in a student exchange program with the University of New Mexico.  She sees a big change in today’s world with the ability to access knowledge, but she also sees the potential for technology overload.

Quinton Tucker graduate 1982

--"I attended CAPS as one of its first students, in 1982-84.  I grew up with Christian parents and family values.  The quality of teachers at CAPS really motivated me."

--"My father was one of the founders of CAPS.  Based on the success of the Mt. Margaret Mission school, everyone involved wanted the WA Dept. of Ed. to feel sure of the quality of education at CAPS.  There was a lot of engagement with board members in the early years."

--"I grew up in Kalgoorlie and, like many of my friends, wasn't applying myself in school.  My dad, who was a liaison officer and taught Sunday school, worked hard to set up a school for kids like me, and to help train more Aboriginal teachers."

--"I would encourage students today to set goals and look to the future, the sooner the better.  Try to match your talents with your plans."

--"When you meet people with a Christian background, try to network with them.  My parents hoped to see Aboriginal people move forward, to have a fair go in life.  Many people have worked for and prayed for the success of CAPS."

After completing year 11 and 12 at CAPS, Quinton worked at Mt. Lawley, Western Australia College of Advanced Technology as a research assistant to the Traditional Aboriginal Teacher Program. In addition, he completed a tertiary entrance bridging course, through which he gained entry to complete a Bachelor of Education. He completed two years of teacher training before gaining employment with the public service sector as an officer with the Department of Minerals and Energy.  It was through his employment with  public service that he obtained an Indigenous Professional Public Service Scholarship, completing a Bachelor of Arts while double majoring in Aboriginal Intercultural Communications and Human Service Administration.