Learning Ambassadors

Araya Dammai – Tasmania

Araya, 57, comes from a business family and has a background in hotel management in Thailand. After getting married, she moved to Tasmania and enrolled in an AMEP course while...

Zemach Oman Boro – Queensland

Zemach, 47, has lived in Australia for 14 years after leaving Ethiopia due to civil war and genocide. In Ethiopia, Zemach was a primary school teacher with a strong passion...

Hayley Drummond – Australian Capital Territory

Hayley Drummond, 23, will soon finish her studies at the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) and be able to start her dream career in the disability sector. Hayley’s education journey...

Corey Armstrong – Tasmania

From the age of two, Corey knew he wanted to help people. As a shy 12-year-old, he joined the Emergency Services Cadet Program, beginning a lifelong commitment to serving communities through...

Tanya Truscott – South Australia

Tanya, 46, has undertaken a journey which highlights the transformative power of adult learning. As a single mum of three children under 12, Tanya discovered a new pathway after a...

Lennon Hopkins – Western Australia

Lennon, 45, is currently undertaking a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE) at TAFE WA. With more than 18 years of experience in the fitness and circus industries, he...

Chamila Baddesvitha – Victoria

At 51, Chamila is inspiring others with her dedication to improving her English and to continuing her lifelong learning journey in Australia. Originally from Sri Lanka, Chamila has a Bachelor...

Tahnee Capon – New South Wales

Tahnee, 36, is a proud Aboriginal woman whose journey is a testament to resilience and determination. She undertook her Certificate III and Certificate IV in Community Services through traineeships with...

Pattie Phillips – Victoria

Pattie’s story is one of resilience, transformation, and the power of learning to create new possibilities. After four years in prison in Melbourne and two years on parole, Pattie found...

Arron Brienesse – New South Wales

At 29, Arron is a proud Kamilaroi man whose journey reflects resilience, determination and a deep connection to community and culture. Facing barriers to employment, Arron built his confidence and...

Timothy Looker – South Australia

Tim’s story is a powerful example of lifelong learning and reinvention. After leaving school at 15, Tim spent 14 years in NT mining camps and instructing equipment operators in Arnhem...

Memnuna Kadric – New South Wales 

Originally from Bosnia, Memnuna, 59, has developed good English communication skills since arriving in Australia in the 1980s. During her early years here, Memnuna mostly focused on raising her family...

Jessica Hastings – Vic

Jessica, 32, is a mum of four who was working in retail when her partner was involved in a serious car accident. With her partner still recovering and caring for...

Adam Micklethwaite – WA

Adam, 39, was working as a tradesman when he was suddenly placed in a leadership role without any prior training. Wanting to back up his practical know-how with theory, he...

Bridie Searle – NSW

At just 20, Bridie is the Founder of ReadySkills, where she teaches life skills and supports learners from diverse backgrounds. A hands-on learner herself, she credits the balance of theory and...

Darren Finn – NSW

Darren’s journey is a powerful testament to the transformative impact of adult learning. A proud Kamilaroi man from rural NSW, Darren left school early and moved away from home to...

Rohan Muthamala – Tas

Rohan, 55 years of age, arrived in Australia with his wife and daughter in 2023. Growing up in Sri Lanka during a time of civil unrest, Rohan faced many...

Andy Bartlett – Tas

Just a few years ago, 49 year old Andy never imagined he’d be working in the disability sector, let alone being invited to step into a new role with his...

Faye Hodgetts – Tas

At 45, Faye was offered a traineeship at Loaves and Fishes, a Tasmanian social enterprise organisation where she had already been volunteering for six years. That opportunity marked a turning point,...

Jeff Richardson – Qld

Jeff is a proud Mandandanji man in his 70s whose life reflects strength, service, and a deep connection to community. He has long been a strong voice for Aboriginal people,...

Jenna Eastwood – Tas

Jenna struggled with reading, handwriting and telling the time at school and often felt embarrassed and left out. She lacked confidence and thought college was out of reach. With encouragement...

Rabia (Rabi) Aftab – SA

When Rabi arrived in Australia from Pakistan, she brought with her a psychology qualification and a passion to help others. However, despite self-funding her application, her overseas qualification wasn’t recognised...

Ornina Ekhtiar – NSW

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

#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...

#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...

#ALW2023 Learning Ambassador Sunil Abbott

Sunil Abbott, aged 69, migrated to Australia from India in 2011 with the equivalent of a Year 12 education. He struggled to adapt and had little or no knowledge of...

#ALW2023 Learning Ambassador Belinda Flavel

Belinda Flavel, now 42 years old and a single mum to her 6 year old daughter started university at the age of 35. She didn’t finish year 10, because a...

#ALW2023 Learning Ambassador Grahame Neville

51-year-old Grahame Neville has worked in the same job in the laundry department of his local hospital for almost 30 years. It wasn’t that he lacked ambition. Grahame had been...

#ALW2023 Learning Ambassador Deanie De Boer

Deanie 46, struggled throughout her school years. She found it hard to keep up with her peers and her teachers labelled her as below average academically. She never dreamed she...