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To celebrate our 30th birthday we are talking to past and present students about how Prace has helped redirect their careers and lives.
This is Rosalie’s story.
Rosalie came to Prace in 2018 to study English as an Additional Language. She enrolled in level one English and in the following year completed level three. With further support from Prace’s Career Planning and Pathway Program, she then embarked on more study to pursue work that she is very passionate about: mental health.
Read more about Rosalie’s learning journey below.
“Prace made me the person I am today and I will always be grateful and have a special place in my heart for the staff and students of Prace.
I’m a Filipina and when I arrived in Australia one of the barriers I experienced was language. It was hard for me to communicate, and one of the reasons was that I didn’t have many friends. I had low self esteem because I was primarily unemployed and quite socially isolated with two small children to care for.
I wanted to change my life so I decided to take English classes. A friend who had studied at Prace recommended that I apply. I was anxious but as soon as I set foot in the door at Prace I relaxed. I felt so safe there from the very first moment.
I liked that it was a small but very diverse community. People had come from so many different countries and had such different stories, but we really related to each other because we had similar struggles with self-confidence.
I needed to do a test when I enrolled. Due to anxiety, I didn’t do well in the test and started at level one in English. It didn’t stop me from learning, although I felt like I didn’t belong to that cohort. I persevered because of my connection with my classmates. I felt like I was developing an extended family and like I belonged. I listened to different inspiring stories that made me realise that it’s okay to be vulnerable sometimes because that vulnerability will help you strive and dream bigger.
I then took the Level 3 English course and while I was completing it I also did the Certificate IV in Mental Health. I finished them both in 2019. After finishing the Certificate IV I found employment as a mental health community support worker. I felt unstoppable, so then I completed a Diploma in Community Services and now I’ve been promoted to a role as a mental health care worker. I’m also studying for my Bachelor of Counselling.
I hope I eventually will be working in the community with people who are marginalised or victimised and to help them.
Reflecting on where I was a few years ago and where I am now and I feel proud. Prace provided me with the training and language skills, not just for employment but for communicating in life in general. Now I’m managing my life: work, family, study and so on, and I feel great about it. I wouldn’t have achieved any of this without Prace!”
– Rosalie
Find out more about our English classes and embark on a new career today!
