IT WAS quite heart-warming sitting down with five former students of the Shepparton English Language Centre (SELC) recently. Each shared their stories of arrival in Australia and Shepparton and then spoke about why they individually decided to take up opportunities at the centre in order to help and inspire other new arrivals.
Each has completed a Certificate III Traineeship in Education Support and now work at the centre as multicultural education aids providing assistance for parents, students teachers and each also acts as an interpreter.
Arriving at the centre as a student in 2010, Reza Kareen has come from Pakistan and after finishing VCE, he took a gap year before going to study civil engineering at university in Melbourne. Reza then joined the centre in 2017.
Reza said, “SELC is like a family with wonderful staff and an amazing coordinator who is very helpful. They support us and build our skills. We are here today because of them. They have helped us learn a lot.
“In the future, we hope to be good role models for other kids, who can see that we came to Australia and have worked very hard to get us to where we are.”
Ramzan Khair Ali went to the centre as a student in 2011 and is an Afghani who grew up in Pakistan. In 2012 he started high school and graduated in 2016 before starting work at SELC.
Ramzan said, “SELC really is like a family.”
Mustafa Rohani was a student at the centre in 2011 and came to Australia with no English speaking skills and very little schooling. Just prior to moving to Australia, Mustafa lived in Pakistan.
Mustafa said, “To help support my family here, I started working at KFC and I am still there. In 2012, I went to high school and graduated in 2014 and one day I came past SELC to say hello and they said they were looking for someone to help and I decided to do it.
“I had the opportunities to start a great life here which I am really grateful for that. So I came back to SELC because I wanted to give back to the community.”
After starting as a student with the centre in 2016, Mariyam Jumakhan graduated high school last year and during her VCAL studies, carried out work placement at SELC for one week.
Mariyam said, “When I completed my work experience I was approached by SELC to take up a position with the team. I was casual for two months last year and then this year I began my training in Certificate III Traineeship in Education Support.
“We love giving back to the community and helping those who are coming into the centre. We have experienced what they are experiencing coming in and it is great to be able to help them transition.”
Although she wasn’t a full time student at the centre, Muzhgan Qazikhil attended the centre on Wednesdays for homework club and is from Afghanistan, and has been with the centre for six years.
Muzhgan said, “After I finished high school I came to SELC to complete some volunteer work and after that they asked me to join the team.
“I love SELC. It’s a relaxing place. I feel as though it is my second home.”
