Ariana wants to help others with her knowledge
01 April 2003
Ariana Callejas-Capra.
Ariana Callejas-Capra from Northcote is the winner of Kangan Batman TAFE’s Adult Learner of the Year award. This award is in recognition of her outstanding achievement in her course and her ability to do her best under extraordinary conditions.
Although just 22, Ariana’s life experiences have matured her beyond her years. In 2001 she left Costa Rica for Australia, to join her husband who is from Colombia and is on a refugee protection visa here. As a refugee’s spouse she is not entitled to the same benefits as her husband which has meant many sacrifices for Ariana and her husband.
Without much preparation Ariana had to leave her country on very short notice to join her husband in Australia. When Ariana arrived in Australia, she could not speak English and found it very hard to communicate with people on every level. Basic activities like shopping and catching public transport seemed an everyday hurdle.
“In Costa Rica I was studying for my degree in advertising. When I came to Australia I wanted to finish my studies, but to do so I needed to improve my English. That is why I enrolled in the Certificate IV in Spoken and Written English at Kangan Batman TAFE.”
“This course helped me a lot in building my confidence and my knowledge of English. After finishing the English course I have now enrolled in the Certificate IV in Multimedia also at Kangan Batman TAFE. After finishing that I want to do a diploma also in multimedia and then will go onto a degree in a related subject,” says Ariana.
Although facing many hardships of her own, Ariana still finds the time to work on a voluntary basis at the Centre for Multicultural Youth Issues in Carlton. Her husband is gaining a degree in social work and works with asylum seekers, which Ariana feels has helped her realise the plight of others.
“I felt that I had to help other migrants who are in a similar position to us. I have learnt a lot from that experience and I want to one day be able to apply my education in helping other migrants and people from disadvantaged backgrounds in any way that I can.”
“When I was studying advertising in Costa Rica, I felt that the field was mostly about manipulating people and how to get them to buy different products and services. I don’t find that ethical and feel that such knowledge can be applied in helping people. I want to apply my knowledge in multimedia to increase the level of awareness of people of some of the social issues that we face today. I want to apply my knowledge in helping people rather than manipulating them.”
Kangan Batman TAFE has over 24,000 students across its six campuses in Broadmeadows, Moreland, Richmond, Coburg, Avondale Heights and Essendon.
Each year in May, Kangan Batman TAFE conducts two graduation ceremonies at the Moonee Valley Racecourse to accommodate all of its graduates and award-winning students.
The first ceremony, at which Ariana will receive her award, will be held on Friday 2 May. The Hume City Council is the major sponsor of the ceremony, while Broadmeadows Town Centre is the supporting sponsor.
Ariana Callejas-Capra has won the following awards:
- Adult Learner of the Year
- Silver Medallion – Language Studies
- Outstanding Achievement – English as a Second Language
