Captains' Corner 

City of Greater Dandenong Youth Summit

On 26 July seven of my fellow students and I went on an excursion to participate in the 2022 City of Greater Dandenong Youth Summit, held at the Springvale Town Hall. Overall, I really enjoyed the day. It was so interesting listening to the guest speakers and we were all inspired by their motivating words and messages emitted through their stories. We attended workshops, such as hip hop dancing, art therapy and African drumming. We were also given chances to express our personal thoughts and feelings on key themes impacting the lives of young people, such as mental and physical health, stress and anxiety, and education. I really appreciated how there was no judgement and everybody was open to hearing and expressing different views on a certain topic. It was a really fun experience I would recommend to anybody passionate about social justice and bettering the lives of young people in all aspects.

Kiara Lay DE2

Women’s Mentors Breakfast – Bunjil Place 29/07/22

Two of my peers and I were invited to attend the Casey women’s mentors’ breakfast at Bunjil place in Narre Warren. We had the chance to listen to guest speaker Kristen Turner who moved to Australia from Zimbabwe and has established herself in the real estate business. We also got to talk to mentors who were women from different fields of different industries and had the chance to ask them about their jobs and what to expect in the future for us as young women in the job industry and career pathways. It was a really good and unique experience because it showed me that even if you don’t get the job you want, things often fall into place.

Annabelle Hatton MO1

Women of Note, Casey Mentor Breakfast - Bunjil place 29.07.2022

The Women of Note is a yearly program founded by Kristen Turner where Year 11 female students are nominated from different schools in Melbourne to attend a breakfast and get to meet experienced women in different fields relevant to their career aspirations. Luckily three students including myself got the opportunity to experience a memorable event. We were greeted with so much positivity and support by the members of the program and it was really inspirational hearing Kristen’s story about how she evolved over the years to get where she is now. Kristen was born in Zimbabwe and came to Australia to start a new chapter in her life. She teaches young women like myself to step out of our comfort zone, achieve our dreams, and to accept failure because it’s not about how many times you fall but the amount of courage you have to get back up and keep striving. I was seated at a table separate from the other two and got to meet a nice group of girls with so much potential and interested in the same field as me.  We also met a Paramedic and a Nurse/Midwife who gave really good advice and taught us what it’s like in their workforce. They helped me understand that it’s okay if I don’t get into the job I want and that things will fall into place. Overall it was a great experience and would truly encourage the any Year 10 girls to attend if they get a chance to next year.

Tyrah Lauaki - LE1