Ngalan Gilbert has long-held ambitions of becoming a park ranger, helping visitors understand the significance of Aboriginal culture and continuing Ngunnawal land practices.
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"I've been passionate about caring for the environment," he said.
"The role Aboriginal park rangers have in protecting the environment is quite great, they'll help educate the community, whether Aboriginal or non-Aboriginal. They manage the land and they try to bring back cultural land management, rather than modern-day land management."
The 16-year-old Dickson College student is part of a growing number of Canberra's indigenous students finishing school through to year 12.
The proportion of indigenous students finishing year 12 has exceeded the targets set by the ACT Education Directorate.
ACT budget papers show that 87.8 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders remain in school to year 12, exceeding the target of 75 per cent set for 2015-2016.
Mr Gilbert has a strong connection to the land, and wants to contribute to wider education of Aboriginal cultural practises in the ACT.
After undertaking work experience and accompanying his father to Tidbinbilla, the year 11 student is keen to finish school and study applied sciences at university.
"I've wanted to follow through so I've got the qualifications, so even if I don't become a park ranger, I can go into other fields I'm interested in," he said.
"I wanted to finish year 11 and 12 anyway, because it will make me feel like I've achieved something higher."
The percentage of indigenous students who receive a nationally recognised vocational qualification is also stronger than expected; 63 per cent left year 12 with a vocational education certificate.
This exceeded the target of 50 per cent for vocational education, following a trend beginning in 2013.
However, only 17 per cent of year 12 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students received a Tertiary Entrance Statement, below the 20 per cent target.
The percentage of overall indigenous students in vocational education and training was also lower than the targeted 15.5 per cent, reaching only 12.3 per cent.
Education Minister Shane Rattenbury said programs such as Pathways to Success, Student Aspirations Coordinators and Flexible Learning Options had contributed to the overall rise.
"I am really pleased to see the ACT's education system's ongoing commitment to improving indigenous student engagement with education improving over time," Mr Rattenbury said.
"I am looking forward to seeing these numbers rise even further in the coming years as we transition to a truly needs-based funding model."
