Sasha Purcell
2021
Scholar of the Year
Sasha Purcell is from the “Whaleboat” family from Mer Island in the Torres Strait.
Sasha holds degrees in International Relations and Foreign Affairs as well as Law, and is currently completing a masters of Law in International Legal studies at New York University.
In 2019, Sasha was invited to speak at the United Nations in Geneva about Torres Strait Islander peoples and the impact of climate change on the islands.
Sasha has a particular interest in the preservation and advancement of Indigenous human rights and on completion of her studies she intends to become a human rights expert at the UN.