MARCUS Mundy had never met an Aboriginal teacher until last year, but the Bega High School student is on his way to becoming one.
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He was helped this week by a $2000 Housing NSW Youth Scholarship, presented to a select number of students each year who are living in social housing and working to complete their HSC or TAFE equivalent.
Housing NSW senior client officer Katrina Evans presented Marcus with his scholarship certificate and said it was “easy to be inspired” by the educational goals he outlined in his application.
“We want to make sure that young people who live in social housing have every opportunity to complete their HSC and move on to higher education,” Ms Evans said.
“Marcus has been having a tough time balancing his HSC studies with the demands of a part time job and raising two young children of his own with his partner - even so, he has been achieving outstanding results at school.”
Before going back to his studies this year, the 19-year-old had been employed as an Indigenous support worker at Bega West.
He continues to work at Bega Valley Public School part-time while he completes Year 11.
Marcus said he was determined to become a primary school teacher because of his early, negative experiences with education.
“I went to seven or eight different primary schools,” Marcus said.
“My experience was there was not much support and I really struggled, so I just want to help kids who are having the same trouble I did.
“I think it’s very important for Aboriginal kids to have more Aboriginal teachers and support workers.
“I always found it a lot better when there was somebody sitting with me, explaining the work in a different way.”
Without access to a computer at home, Marcus currently heads to the library after school to use the Internet and do his word processing, but only gets a couple of hours there before it closes.
The $2000 scholarship will be managed by Bega High and can be spent on much-needed computer equipment, tutoring, text books or tutoring.
More information about the scholarship program, now in its sixth year, is available on the Housing NSW website www.housing.nsw.gov.au.