Student struggles to give future leaders a voice
YOUNG Australians will be the leaders of the future and one Adelaide University student will stop at nothing to ensure they have a say in their education.
YOUNG Australians will be the leaders of the future and one Adelaide University student will stop at nothing to ensure they have a say in their education.
Minh Tan Pham, 18, is an advocate for his peers in his role on the university’s student and staff liaison committee and has achieved international recognition for spearheading innovative education projects.
“I believe education opportunities are really important for young Australians,” Mr Pham, of Mansfield Park, says.
“Students are the future of this country and need to have a good education.
“Even though they are young and may be lacking in experience, it doesn’t mean they don’t have ideas, and I believe young voices should be heard, and also supported by those who can make a difference.”
Mr Pham has been nominated for a Pride of Australia Award in the Young Leaders category.
As a senior at Adelaide High School in 2013, Mr Pham was the spokesman for the student body and the main driver of projects they felt were important.
He led a program bringing students from Raukkan Aboriginal School to Adelaide High for a cultural and learning exchange as part of a project to improve literacy.
He was also the driving force behind fundraising for schools in Bali to provide materials to help them become self-sustainable and the school’s involvement in national campaigns for Harmony Day and Closing the Gap.
Since graduating from school, Mr Pham has moved on to study science and teaching at Adelaide University, but continued to work with the school and tutor seniors in science.
A keen filmmaker, Mr Pham is working with Adelaide High teachers to create educational science videos for UniSA’s science, technology, engineering and maths program.
Some of his videos have been selected as “clip of the week” on sciencephotolibrary.com, a leading provider of science-related video, which has provided footage to the BBC and Discovery Channel, and includes content supplied by NASA.
Mr Pham was awarded the Order of Australia Association’s Student Citizen of the Year and the Council of International Schools Leadership Award in 2013 for his outstanding commitment to helping his peers.
“I was really honoured,” Mr Pham said.
“I don’t do these things for recognition but it was still nice.
“Mostly I do it to see people achieve their goals.
“Helping someone achieve something they thought wasn’t possible is really something I enjoy.”