Our learning support and mentoring programs in 90 Australian communities directly help children in need achieve their goals through education.
View all programs Amar received the best welcome gift possible
25 March 2021
When Amar arrived from Turkey with his family, life was hard. Both parents were unemployed. They shared a small unit with his grandparents. “My parents were constantly worrying about money,” Amar recalls. It was so hard learning in a new country. “I remember feeling left behind at school,” says Amar.
Amar’s neighbour knew The Smith Family could help students facing severe hardship to catch up and build a better future and suggested his family get in touch. Thanks to you, Amar was able to join our iTrack program.
Your generous support meant he could be matched with a volunteer mentor from the business world. In weekly online chat sessions, Amar’s mentor encouraged him to strive and gave him critical advice about work, study and a career.
“My mentor was extremely helpful throughout,” says Amar. “I explained my passions and they supported me and were able to provide different options that I didn’t know were possible.”
The transition from school to university can be challenging, but my mentor gave me such great advice.
With great dedication, Amar achieved his dream: acceptance into a dual business and international business degree. “The transition from school to university can be challenging, but my mentor gave me such great advice on managing my time and helped me develop planning calendars to ensure I finished projects on time,” he says.
Today, when Amar remembers the early struggles, he is proud of how far he has come — and grateful for the support he received. Now in his final trimester of university, Amar has a job lined up in a digital marketing agency. “I’m really excited to start in the real-world, and work towards my goal of being a Marketing Director,” he says.
Read more student and family stories in our Autumn 2021 edition of Real People, Real Stories.
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