Grandmother and grandson graduate side by side in Wiradjuri language and culture

A Wiradjuri grandmother and her grandson have graduated together from Charles Sturt University after completing a qualification focused on Wiradjuri language, culture and heritage – a shared journey they say strengthened both family ties and cultural connection.

Karen Coe and Isaiah Church completed the Graduate Certificate in Wiradjuri Language, Culture and Heritage after studying part-time across 2023 and 2024, with their graduation ceremony held in April. The pair took on the course together despite being from different generations, with Ms Coe describing it as an opportunity to deepen her language knowledge after growing up during a period when she was prevented from speaking Wiradjuri.

Mr Church said his grandmother played a central role in his decision to keep studying, and that learning alongside her changed the way he approached the work. They described leaning on each other through assessment deadlines and through a period of grief following the death of Ms Coe’s daughter and Mr Church’s mother, Bianca Coe, last year.

Charles Sturt University describes its Wiradjuri language qualifications as culturally centred and community focused, aimed at supporting revitalisation of Wiradjuri language and strengthening understanding of First Nations culture and knowledge systems. The university has promoted the course as a unique offering in Australian higher education, designed to build students’ capacity to work respectfully with Wiradjuri communities and to preserve language for future generations.

For Ms Coe, the graduation marked more than an academic milestone. “It’s extremely important that we continue to empower our younger generations” she said, pointing to the role that Elders’ stories and cultural teachings can play in helping students build confidence and identity.

She said the experience of learning in community (and across generations) was central to the value of the course. “The cultural connections we shared were invaluable.”

Mr Church has spoken about plans to pursue music, with hopes of bringing culture into composition work for film and games. Ms Coe has said she intends to continue supporting her communities through cultural knowledge, including truth-telling, and is also recording her life story for family and future generations.

The pair’s graduation has been shared as an example of how formal study can sit alongside lived experience and family responsibility – with language learning becoming a practical act of care for culture, community and the next generation.