Australia’s Best Teachers: Nyanyiik Chol recognised for ‘making the world better’

When Nyanyiik (Angelina) Chol was named school captain she faced racism and hatred. Now as a teacher, it has spurred her to create a program so kids of all cultures feel like they belong.

Being the target of racism and hatred as one of only two African students in a mostly white school was a painfully formative experience for Nyanyiik (Angelina) Chol.

Now, as an English, drama, and dance teacher at Mabel Park High School, she channels those childhood challenges into making the school’s successful extra-curricular multicultural program the best it can be.

As co-co-ordinator of the program with colleague Beth Talty, Ms Chol said despite the extra work it produced, uniting students from diverse backgrounds made it all worth it.

“Even though one of the biggest problem’s we’re currently facing is around increased workload, definitely, my favourite thing about teaching right now is the multicultural program,” Ms Chol said.

Nyanyiik (Angelina) Chol, who is a drama and English teacher at Mabel Park State High School. Picture: David Kelly

With 300 participants, the student-led program breaks into different cultural groups to create and teach dances, songs, and choreography culminating with a major June performance, which has sold out for the past three years.

“We have our First Nations group, Samoan, Tongan, African nations, Myanmar, Cook Islands, a whole bunch of different cultures,” Ms Chol said.

“And those kids come up with the choreography, the songs that they want to teach, the dances they want to teach.

“When students sign up, we tell them you do not have to identify as that culture to participate, as long as you are respectful and polite, you’ll be accepted wholeheartedly.”

For Ms Chol, the biggest success of the program is how it has helped create a school community where multiculturalism is celebrated.

“Seeing them be more respectful of each other’s cultures is incredible,” she said.

“At the beginning of the year, you do see them, especially the younger ones, jokingly making fun of each other or doing silly things like calling each other monkeys, because they’re little, they have no self-regulation, they have no forethought.

“By this time in the year, that’s already cut down heaps.

“Multiculturalism is actually celebrated here and it’s actually a cool thing here, rather than being ashamed of it or hiding from it or trying to be like everybody else, you can actually just be your individual culture and it’s fine.”

Nyanyiik (Angelina Chol) believes a program like the one she runs now could have helped make school easier for her. Picture: David Kelly

She said a program like this would have made her schooling experience very different.

“It would have helped so much,” she said.

“I went to Loganlea State High School … and I was one of two African children in the entire school.

“When I became a school captain, I faced so much racism and so much hatred, I think I then shied away from leadership roles and didn’t want to be in the spotlight because it was such a horrible experience.

“I just think like a program like this when I was in school would have helped me, I guess feel more connected to my culture.”

For every student Ms Chol teaches, she said there was one overarching message she wanted to leave them with.

“My favourite thing to say when kids leave my classroom is ‘be good humans, do good things’,” she said.

“So it’s always about making kids better and making sure they understand how to be a good human and a good person and be kind to each other.

“And if that’s all they get from me, then I’m happy with that. I just want better human beings for the world. I want to make the world a better place.”

Meet 50 of Australia’s Best Teachers HERE.

Originally published as Australia’s Best Teachers: Nyanyiik Chol recognised for ‘making the world better’