Last month, seven of our Catalyst Clemente Melbourne students celebrated the completion of their Australian Indigenous History unit, provided by Mission Australia in partnership with the Australian Catholic University (ACU).
The students were joined by Jude Butcher, Director of the Institute for Advancing Community Engagement, ACU; Mission Australia CEO Toby Hall, and many proud family members, friends, lecturers, Learning Partners and Mission Australia staff at ACU’s Melbourne campus.
On congratulating the class, course lecturer Dr Noah Riseman said the quality of work produced by the Catalyst Clemente students often exceeded his expectations.
Towards the end of the night, guests were treated to a musical recital by Mood Swingers, a vocal group from St Mary’s House of Welcome. Among the singers were 2011 Catalyst graduate Darren and past student Suzanne.
Current student Michael also delivered a beautiful poem about his experience with Catalyst Clemente. Born in the Philippines, he moved to Geelong at age 16. Coming from a very tight-knit, densely populated community to a regional area of Australia was a huge culture shock. Getting through Year 12 was especially difficult for Michael, as he was constantly bullied.
He was later diagnosed with mental health issues and fell into psychosis in 2003. His mental health then rapidly declined.
Michael moved to Melbourne in 2005 and, after an intense fall-out with his family, found himself living on the streets. He found semi-permanent accommodation in Richmond for the next two years, before moving into The Fintry Community. That’s where he heard about Catalyst Clemente from a former student.
At the recent Catalyst celebration, Michael beautifully expressed his thoughts on the value of education and the life-changing program:
"Education. It provides a unique form of freedom once learned can never be taken away. Writing, reading and research. The truth. The workload, its all part of the process. A process of which that requires dedication and commitment. At the end, a rewarding career. The age of digital technology. Revolutionising the way information is gathered and stored. The late nights and the insomnia. I wonder if I’m going to pass or get a good grade. Time management is the key. Do the reading and participate. Asked questions and make relevant comments. Take notes in the lecture, it will help you study. The level of academic ability. If you are passionate on what you are doing, you will be successful. Chose wisely on your degree, deferring is always the difficult thing. On campus and online. Some people prefer one over the other. To me personally it’s a bit of both actually. I never thought I’d end up at the Australian Catholic University, even though I did my primary school studies at St. Francis of Assisi in the Philippines.
"Chivalry is not dead. You will learn that in university with the proper learning partner. A God send who will help you on your way. How do I reference, ask them and they are more than happy to show ya. Mission Australia. Where would I be without the guiding light? Perhaps still asking questions where there is no answer. A free education and delicious food from Nicole and Layla.
"The program that help people study. What a great idea. Higher education at the ACU. I feel that I can build an empire of true Christian values. All you need is faith and your Mac Book computer. Finally to the teachers and coordinators thank you for the time and effort, I did my best to repay in academia. Who said that learning is not fun, maybe it’s just the voice of negativity, which thanks to university has become a lot quieter. All the best and enjoy the celebration."
Melbourne’s Catalyst Clemente students are now enjoying a well-deserved break until mid August, when they will begin the Introduction to Media Studies. A first-time inclusion in Catalyst Clemente, it is anticipated the subject will add a new dimension to the program, giving the students the opportunity to participate in a more ‘hands on’ and interactive approach to world of the humanities.
Further reading:
No comments:
Post a Comment