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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 Lilla’s story. Lilla came to Prace in 2018 to study English as an additional Language. Learning at Prace not only supported her through a difficult personal time, but also led her to pursue work in an industry she loves.
“My journey through Prace was sometimes very happy, but also I had great sadness. I am Hungarian and I didn’t speak English when I came to Australia. My husband Joe was pushing me to learn English but we were both working and there was no time to go to classes so I tried to learn by using an app for my phone. It was very difficult.
Then Joe became sick and we found out that he had cancer. He told me I really needed to go and learn how to speak English now. So I came to Prace to have an interview as part of the application process.
My interview was with Zoe, the senior English teacher and assessor. I was very nervous, but I didn’t need to be! Zoe was very friendly and very funny. It really took the pressure off and I soon felt relaxed.
I love Prace. It’s like a family where everyone looks after everyone – even the teachers, the students, the office staff. I remember when I first started one of the students was pregnant, and all alone, without a partner or family, but people from Prace used to bring food and clothes for her and offer her support. Everyone was so caring.
My teacher Shveta was always asking me how I was, as I was very tired and spending a lot of time at the hospital with Joe.
I kept going to my English classes because I had so many friends and there was so much support at Prace. When Joe passed away, everyone was so kind, sending their condolences and giving me a gift.
After Joe died the government was pushing me to get a job and I didn’t know what to do. Adriana, the Reconnect Manager at Prace, helped me apply to study hairdressing at Melbourne Polytechnic in 2021.
I was excited to go to class in my new course – but just two weeks into it, we were closed down because of Covid-19! It was very hard to learn hairdressing just with a mannequin at home, but finally we came back and I finished the course in September 2022.
My message is that it’s never too late to follow your dream if you are passionate about something. I’m 46 now and I loved my time as a student at Prace. It’s not just about learning in class. It’s about having the confidence and support to change your life.“
–Lilla
Find out more about our English classes and our Reconnect Program and embark on a new career today!
