Barely in Australia for a year, Queens Park student Yuan Zhou has been awarded major honours at the 2009 Central TAFE Awards.
The Minister for Training, the Hon Peter Collier presented Yuan with the prize as the top student in the English as a Second Language program at tonight's awards presentations at Government House Ballroom.
The gala annual event officially recognises, rewards and promotes student and staff excellence at one WA’s largest training organisations.
As a new migrant, Yuan began at Central TAFE in the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP). She made quick progress and soon acquired a Certificate III in Spoken and Written English.
Yuan also wanted to find a way to get involved in the community.
She decided to become a volunteer, which she thought would also help develop her language skills. She soon found herself working for Catholic Migrant Services, helping in nursing homes and working with migration agents.
In China, Yuan had a bachelors and masters degree in law and is keen to return to her profession. Legal studies can be complex even for native English speakers so Yuan is evidently facing a huge challenge.
Undaunted however, Yuan is embarking on a Certificate IV in Legal Studies at Central TAFE.
“I believe where there’s a will there’s a way. I made up my mind to achieve my goal and devote my time and effort as much as I can to the studies,” said Yuan.
Yuan is clearly not lacking in determination. Soon after arriving she attended a conference for Refugee and Immigrant Women. Once back at Central TAFE she did a presentation on all she had learnt to over 30 lecturers from the AMEP program.
Nominated for the award by her lecturers, Yuan has clearly impressed in a very short space of time.
Taking time aside from her own goals, she even manages to help others learn English and is always looking for ways in which she can help other new migrants.