The 2016 WA Australian of the Year finalists have been announced, including an ebola fighting nurse from Esperance and a pioneering Aboriginal educator.
Anne Carey was a Red Cross midwife and nurse during the ebola crisis that took hold of Sierra Leone in 2014, and was among the volunteers to arrive.
Every day she was taped into a sterilised suit to protect her from the deadly virus, which spreads by contact with blood or other bodily fluids. 
Ms Carey said when she first started her work the virus was extremely quick to kill, with a death rate of about 80 per cent, but she felt "privileged" to help.
"I was very privileged to answer yes and go, I saw it as privilege to help these people who were so hurt, " she said.
Despite the risk Ms Carey stayed to take blood samples, medicate victims, and help affected mothers deliver their babies.
But she said even through all the death it was possible to see the good being done.
"I also walked into something every positive because the people from around the world I was with and the workers from Sierra Leone were there to help."
"I felt there was still lots of hope, and if there was hope we could see the way forward."
Her medical career also covers assignments in rural WA, Papua New Guinea and Sudan, where, despite being attacked, she remained to help the locals.
Since returning from her work in Sierra Leone, Ms Carey has been giving a series of talks about ebola, and is currently fundraising to get laptops for the workers who helped fight the epidemic.
"With the disease the education stopped in the country for the year, so this will enhance the education of the country going forward," Ms Carey said.
Also up for the award is Professor Colleen Hayward, who has lead research and policy on Aboriginal education and health for over 30 years.
Professor Hayward, who is the daughter of WA's first Aboriginal school principal, currently heads up Edith Cowan University's Centre for Indigenous Education and Research and was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia in 2012 for her contribution to tertiary education, and her advancement of Indigenous rights.
She made these achievements despite a battle with cancer which temporarily took her out of teaching and left her unable to have children.
Other finalists include human rights lawyer Rabia Siddique and Noongar elder Robert Isaacs - who was named 2015 Western Australian of the Year in   May.
Winners of the state-level Australian of the Year will be nominated as finalists for the national Awards, which are held on Australia Day eve -   January 25 - every year.
The award winner will be announced along with winners of the WA Senior Australian of the Year, WA Young Australian of the Year and WA's Local Hero awards, in a ceremony at Government House, Perth on   November 8.
Finalists for other WA Australian of the Year awards are:
2016 Senior Australian of the Year:
     The Hon Graham Edwards AM - Veterans' advocate (North Beach)   Lesley Reece AM - Children's literature champion (Fremantle)   Rose Marie Vojakovic AM - Asbestos disease campaigner (Greenwood)    
2016 Young Australian of the Year:
     Catherine Hughes - Immunisation champion (Claremont)   Dr Bronwyn Jones - Global health campaigner (Perth)   Bill Bunbury - Oral historian (Margaret River)   Georgia Lowry - Cancer survivor (Mundijong)   Dr Vinay Menon - Doctor (Applecross)    
2016 Local Hero:
     Dr Stephen Langford - Flying doctor (Applecross)   Carl Merrison - Mentor (Halls Creek)   Robert Reekie - Men's advocate (Busselton)   Linda Thomas - Organ and tissue donation champion (Como)    
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