Meet Aurora Intern Coen O’Reilly Smith

Completing an internship at Geosciences Australia has seen Coen O’Reilly-Smith gain valuable experience in the geosciences field. Coen is a proud Dharawal man studying a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry at the University of Wollongong  and his internship, focused on Natural and Physical Sciences.

“I was able to complete very rewarding work with the main project I worked on being a display cabinet for critical minerals that went into Madeleine King’s office, the Minister for Resources, in Parliament house!”

Undertaking an Aurora internship unlocked opportunities for Coen to connect and build relationships with people in his industry through networking and travel opportunities: “My internship started with Aurora and Geoscience Australia (GA) funding my attendance at the World Mining Congress (WMC) in Brisbane. It was an amazing experience to go. After the WMC I travelled to Canberra and met with the team at GA and everyone there is fantastic. It’s a small team and I have come to call them friends as well as colleagues.”

The Aurora Internship Program offers full time internships for 4-6 weeks or part-time equivalents at organisations working to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Aurora supports Indigenous and selected non-Indigenous interns to develop practical skills, gain real-world career experience and build professional networks.

Aurora prioritises supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and graduates to secure funded internships that are relevant to the candidate’s study or career aspirations. Indigenous interns will be provided with a weekly stipend of $900 (pro rata for part-time internships) and up to $3,800 (incl. GST) to cover the cost of travel and accommodation.