By Casey Neill
Three students and a tutor from Greater Dandenong received state awards for their efforts in education.
Education Minister James Merlino presented seven MY Education Awards on Thursday 8 September.
The Centre for Multicultural Youth developed the MY Education Awards to recognise excellence and showcase outstanding contributions from students, volunteer tutors, schools and homework clubs.
Nobel Park Secondary College student Akbar Ali and Dandenong High School’s Rose Ajjaba shared the Outstanding Secondary Student title.
Akbar, 18, arrived in Australia without any family members.
He makes VCE study a priority and is a mentor to fellow students despite being responsible for his own wellbeing, including rent, food and medical care.
Rose attends a regular out-of-school-hours learning support program that helps her and other newly arrived students to concentrate on their learning in a safe and encouraging environment.
She regularly assists in tutoring others, which helps build their self-esteem as well as her own confidence.
Temira Mohammed was the joint winner of the Outstanding Primary Student award.
The Noble Park Primary student arrived in Australia from Ethiopia in early 2014 at the age of 10, unable to speak English and barely able to make eye contact when engaging in conversation.
She’d had no formal schooling and spent a year in a New Arrivals Intensive English Language Program before starting her mainstream schooling journey late last year.
Temira is now an exemplary student and helps others whenever she can.
For the past five years Outstanding Volunteer Tutor award-winner Walter Valles has dedicated every Saturday morning to improving education outcomes for refugee and migrant young people in Dandenong with the Dandenong Tutoring Program.
He supports senior students with tutoring assistance, mentorship and career guidance.
Mr Valles spends countless hours creating projects and planning how he can best support students.
