Over the course of the summer, two of our undergraduate students at St Andrew’s College, Alec Ellston (Fr 2025) and Sophie Oakeshott (Fr 2023), had the incredible opportunity to partake in internships supported by CareerTrackers. St Andrew’s College has been proud to partner with CareerTrackers, a national organisation that supports First Nations university students and connects them with meaningful, study-aligned internships, helping them to build valuable career pathways. Partnerships, like CareerTrackers, reflect our ongoing commitment to supporting students as they prepare for life after university.
While Sophie Oakeshott gained professional experience through an internship with Qantas, Alec entered the consulting world of EY. We caught up with Alec, who is currently completing his second year of his Bachelor of Science and Advanced Studies (Psychology and Neuroscience) degree, to learn more about his experience.
It was a great Open Day experience that first drew Alec to St Andrew’s College. “This was my first view of any college,” he recalled, “and I instantly admired the college culture. I knew this was a place that would do everything it can to help me succeed.”
In a seminar at St Andrew’s earlier in 2025, Alec was introduced to CareerTrackers. In his words, “Everyone in the room was really blown away by the opportunity that had just been put in front of us, and it’s difficult to express how excited we all became.”
Once he began the internship at EY through CareerTrackers, he realised that they offered more than just educational and career progression; they also offered an amazing community for participating students. As Alec put it, “CareerTrackers was more than the internship; they brought every intern together to interact and share their experiences. It is difficult to explain the sense of pride I felt seeing all of these students that were doing everything they could to improve their future. The best part is, all of us are in contact and can watch each other’s careers prosper. The level of effort and time CareerTrackers exudes to help First Nations students is truly remarkable. Every event I took part in felt personally crafted for each student. Knowing that this organisation cares so much about our futures really imbues me with a great amount of pride and excitement.”
Alec and Sophie attend a CareerTracker’s meeting
Alec outside EY during his internship
St Andrew’s College First Nation students meeting with CareerTrackers
Through his experience at CareerTrackers, Alec has also been encouraged by the great work being done to support First Nations students at a tertiary level nationwide. “Knowing that companies like CareerTrackers out there that are doing everything they can to support vulnerable students in building a better future for themselves,” he noted, “really fills me with pride for Australia as a whole. Companies like this ensure every Aussie is living the Australian dream.”
Although he is unsure of where his career may lead, Alec is committed to empowering other students and ‘paying forward’ the opportunities he has received. “Thanks to the opportunities I have been awarded by the likes of St Andrew’s College and CareerTrackers, I am in a place that the Alec of even one year ago would have thought inconceivable,” he said. “I want to pay back the opportunities I have been so lucky to receive, as I know not everybody is as lucky as I am. As long as in whatever career my future holds, my priority is helping the people that need it the most, I will have lived out my dream.”