Connecting people.
Creating opportunity.
Serving community.

Helping learners find their voice.

I joined Greater Shepparton Secondary College in March 2020 as a Multicultural Liaison Officer and became Multicultural Liaison Leader in August 2025. In this leadership role, I connect students, families and the school through cultural understanding and practical support. My work helps create an environment where diverse backgrounds are respected and students have the confidence to participate, learn and succeed.

I have taught Foundation to Year 2 Arabic at the Victorian School of Languages, Shepparton Centre since 24 February 2023. With more than a decade of experience in education and student support, I bring patience, creativity and cultural insight to my teaching. I see language as a connection to identity, family and the wider world.

In 2026, I originated the idea for GSSC’s first-ever Cultural and Language Expo and led its delivery as Multicultural Liaison Leader (MLL). Held on 18 June 2026, the event brought students and families together to celebrate language and cultural heritage. Explore the inaugural Expo →

In 2025, I received nomination recognition in the Victorian Early Years Awards. My certificate names Educator of the Year and the Victorian School of Languages, while my nomination notification also names Early Childhood Teacher of the Year. View the nomination record →

As part of GSSC’s Arabic-speaking liaison team, I help connect families with school life. The team’s responsibilities include translation, classroom support, cultural guidance and family meetings, alongside Harmony Week, Refugee Week and community engagement.

My role in GSSC’s multicultural liaison team ↗

Turning care into action.

I founded the Multicultural Round Table Emergency Response in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, to help organise support for multicultural communities during times of crisis. Alongside my involvement with the Iraqi Community Centre and my volunteering with the Australian Red Cross from January 2017 to 2024, this work reflects my commitment to making support more accessible and responsive to people’s needs.

During Shepparton’s 2021 COVID-19 outbreak, I translated and shared school and public-health information in Arabic to help families understand a rapidly changing situation. During the 2022 floods, I worked with fellow volunteers to help an Arabic-speaking family reach safety. These experiences reinforced a lesson that guides my work: effective support begins with communication, trust and a willingness to act.

Volunteer driving brought together two things I value: meeting people and offering practical help. My father taught me that every person’s story carries a lesson and a measure of wisdom. Listening has continued to shape how I understand migration, resilience and belonging.

My wider community involvement has included on-call volunteering with the Rotary Club of Mooroopna’s Satellite Club in Shepparton from February 2016 to February 2018, including catering, alongside local events, community-radio conversations and activities that bring people from different backgrounds together. A photograph shared by Eyewatch Greater Shepparton on 27 March 2017 shows me with Uncle Leon Saunders and Chris Hazleman, identifying my role as a community supporter.

I became an authorised member of the Iraqi Community Centre in January 2010 and served with the Australian Red Cross Shepparton Emergency Services team from January 2017 to 2024. My volunteering record also includes the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) online volunteering service, beginning in May 2019.

Where my commitment to service began.

I was born and raised in Al-Hamzah Al-Sharqi, in Iraq’s Al-Diwaniyah Governorate. My childhood, family and early education gave me a lasting connection to my community and a desire to contribute to the lives of others.

After primary school in my hometown, I completed Year 12 in the scientific section at Al Hamzah High School in 2005. I studied at the University of Basrah before completing a two-year Technical Diploma in Community Health at Al-Diwaniyah Technical Institute in 2007. That foundation in science, health and care shaped the beginning of my working life.

My first job after graduation was as a doctor’s assistant at Al Shaheed Hakim General Hospital in Baghdad. From March 2008 to January 2009, I worked in the emergency department, major operating theatres, paediatrics department and men’s ward. During a period of worsening insecurity, I lost friends and saw health professionals lose their lives. I later moved to Al Hamzah General Hospital, seeking a safer environment closer to my family. In 2009, I worked there as a doctor’s assistant (medical assistant) in the major operating theatres.

عملتُ في مستشفى الحكيم في بغداد بعنوان مساعد طبيب (معاون طبي)، من آذار ٢٠٠٨ إلى كانون الثاني ٢٠٠٩، في أقسام الطوارئ والعمليات الكبرى وقسم الأطفال والقسم الرجالي. صور مع الكوادر الطبية في المستشفى.

عملتُ عام ٢٠٠٩ في مستشفى الحمزة العام، في قسم العمليات الكبرى، بعنوان مساعد طبيب (معاون طبي).

I also wanted to contribute beyond my paid work. I volunteered with the Iraqi Red Crescent Society’s pathology research team from March 2007 to December 2009 and with the Health Staff Association from March to December 2009, during an avian influenza outbreak. Caring for people, continuing to learn and helping others move forward became lasting commitments.

Family, purpose and a willingness to keep learning.

My relationships with family and friends are central to my life. Health and fitness matter to my wellbeing, and I value the courage to begin something new, the patience to learn and the opportunity to encourage someone else.

Whether through a conversation, a school activity or a practical act of support, I want people to feel that they matter. Hope and connection can begin with being heard.