Daj was at North Lake for a very short time. He started in the IEC, transitioned to Year 11 and from there was encouraged by his teachers to apply for university.
When he came back to the campus for the 2019 IEC achievement ceremony Daj recalled studying Year 11 maths, business with Claire and English, “Then I applied for the mature-age entry program and was accepted to UWA. I’ve completed first year studying management and political science and have two years to go.”
A refugee from the first Liberian Civil War, Daj’s story is slightly unusual in that his family actually returned to Africa from Australia, “In 2007 we went back to Guinea, a neighbouring country of Liberia, we stayed there until 2018 to learn about the culture and then we came back to Australia.”
Daj wants to use his experiences and his studies to impact people’s lives within the community. He uses public speaking as a means to help others build confidence and resilience.
Despite his relatively short stay at North Lake he acknowledges the part it has played his journey so far.
“North Lake was a really really important. The best thing about this school is that the teachers and the whole staff always go beyond what they’re just supposed to do. I feel they go beyond what they’re paid for, which is really amazing. They helped me with a lot of stuff outside of school – I don’t think I could have had all that help if I wasn’t here. When we came back to Australia we knew nothing about the system and getting help with family support – the school helped with all that stuff.
“It’s always a pleasure to be back here.”