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2024

Lifelong Learner Stories

2024
Ornina Ekhtiar – New South Wales

Ornina Ekhtiar – New South Wales

Ornina, 32, was born in Syria, where she completed high school and a pathology course. However, about 10 years ago, due to civil unrest, she and her family fled to…

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2024
John Lindsay – South Australia

John Lindsay – South Australia

John Lindsay, a 61-year-old River Ngarrindjeri man, embodies the spirit of lifelong learning and community education. Born in Barmera and raised on the Gerard Aboriginal Mission, John’s upbringing was rooted…

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2024
Emma Griggs – New South Wales

Emma Griggs – New South Wales

Emma is a proud Wiradjuri Woman. Her journey has been a rollercoaster of challenges and triumphs. Growing up on Gadigal/Bidjigal Land, descending from a tiny town in central western NSW,…

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2024
Melanie Cameron – Queensland

Melanie Cameron – Queensland

Melanie is a 22-year-old woman who continually strives to improve herself through learning, despite her intellectual impairment and disadvantaged background.   With the help of her support worker, Melanie has…

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2024
Farah Naz – South Australia

Farah Naz – South Australia

Farah, 45, arrived from Pakistan in November 2013. Despite her teaching experience, her qualifications weren’t recognised in Australia.  So, until 2021, Farah invested her years in looking after her family…

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2024
Christiana Davies – South Australia

Christiana Davies – South Australia

Christiana came to Australia 18 years ago as a refugee from Sierra Leone. She has overcome many barriers in her learning journey, starting with building her foundation studies through the…

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2024
Tim Royle – Western Australia

Tim Royle – Western Australia

Tim, aged 37, has struggled with reading, writing, and spelling for most of his life. After being diagnosed with dyslexia in primary school, Tim found high school to be incredibly…

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2024
Mick Curtis – Tasmania

Mick Curtis – Tasmania

Mick, originally from South Australia, began his working life in the abattoirs in Port Pirie. He struggled to complete Year 12, barely able to spell his own name. When he…

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2024
Kerry Hume – Victoria

Kerry Hume – Victoria

Kerry, a 40-year-old mother of three, is the newly appointed Assistant Manager at Aurora Dairies Glenfyne farm near Cobden. Her farming journey began two years ago when she started milking…

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2024
Haydon Grigg – South Australia

Haydon Grigg – South Australia

Haydon, 28, faced challenges fitting into traditional schooling and ultimately failed Year 12 due to difficulties with reading, writing, and socialising with others. He enjoyed hands-on learning, but his struggle…

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2023
#ALW2023 Learning Ambassador Terrence Lennon-Wingfield

#ALW2023 Learning Ambassador Terrence Lennon-Wingfield

Terrence Lennon-Wingfield, now 28, grew up in Ceduna, nearly 800 kilometres from Adelaide. He was often absent from school, due to illness and when he did attend, other kids made…

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2023
#ALW2023 Learning Ambassador Trudy Shan Walder

#ALW2023 Learning Ambassador Trudy Shan Walder

34-year-old Trudy Shan Walder left school at the beginning of Year 11. At the age of 29, as part of her recovery from domestic violence and significant injuries which will…

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