AVID Australia is delighted to announce Rori Spaeth from Makybe Rise Primary School as the winner of the AVID Australia Student Speaker Competition for 2019.
Rori and a guardian have won a trip to Melbourne to deliver her speech to over 500 teachers from Australia and America at the Opening of AVID Australia’s Summer Institute professional learning event, on 27 November 2019.
She was one of many AVID students from AVID schools around the country who answered the call to tell us how AVID has helped them to “seize opportunities”.
AVID Australia’s National Director, Claire Brown, said that Rori has a really powerful message that will resonate with and inspire teachers across Australia.
“Rori is our first student speaker from a primary school. She was very articulate and clearly explained how transformative learning experience can be when you seize the opportunities that present themselves to you,” said Claire.
“Rori has seized the opportunity to overcome social exclusion and the bullying she has faced as a student. It’s clear that AVID and her teachers have helped her to develop the confidence, determination and resilience to pursue her aspirations.
“I think we can all learn a lot from Rori’s story.”
Rori grew up in South Australia for most of her life before her parents moved to WA where she enrolled in Makybe Rise Primary School. Here, Rori was presented with her first big opportunity to start afresh.
“My new school (Makybe Rise Primary School) and the AVID program gave me hope. Initially, I was really worried that students at my new school would be just like the students at my old school but I soon realised that I had the chance to embrace myself and leave the past behind me,” said Rori.
“The new opportunities presented themselves to me like open windows and I knew that I should not shut them. I’ve learned to just go for it and put in hard work to reach my goals and when you don’t succeed you will find out where the glory of resilience truly lies.”
To hear Rori’s full speech, join AVID Australia on the afternoon of 27 November 2019 for the Opening of Summer Institute. Contact AVID.Australia@vu.edu.au for further information.
