A 22-YEAR-OLD Shenton Park resident is in the running to be named Miss Naidoc Perth 2018.
Sophie Coffin is a Ngangumarta Yindjibarndi woman from Port Hedland, and is currently studying law at UWA.
She was encouraged and inspired to enter the competition by its past participants.
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READ NOW“I feel really honoured and lucky to have made it this far,” she said.
“(If I won) I would use it to be a positive role model for other Aboriginal girls, especially from rural and regional areas.”
The UWA student wants to encourage girls to go after every opportunity, and is passionate about addressing racism and educating non-Aboriginal people about what it means to be an Aboriginal person in 2018.
“I think it’s challenging; we have opportunities, but there are constant obstacles we face like the distance coming from country and racism in discreet ways,” Ms Coffin said.
“Being fair-skinned can be challenging, people question it because I don’t look like the common idea of an Aboriginal person.”
In her law studies, Ms Coffin has a particular interest in human rights and intellectual property law to protect Aboriginal artwork.
“I’d love to go back and work in my community, to help and advocate on behalf of them,” she said.
Miss Naidoc Perth will be crowned at a gala event on Saturday, May 26, at Crown Perth.
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