In a brightly lit corner of the library on a brightly coloured lounge, Inspiring the Future volunteer Tony Ibrahim from Choice sat with a small group of students discussing his experience as a Journalist, why they were interested in Journalism and what kind of journey he went on to be where he was today. St Marys Senior High School in Western Sydney only runs for Year 11 and Year 12 and therefore has an immense focus on careers and transferrable, 21^st Century skills. The Careers Advisor, Lynette Tuckwell, sees Inspiring the Future as a great opportunity to bring volunteers from different fields into the school to give a broad range of their students the chance to explore options and interests after graduation.

The ‘Career Conversations’ event was the first ITF event to happen after our official launch, and it was a huge success. Tony sat in the library, available for students who were interested in joining him for a casual chat. Young people joined the conversation at slightly different times, and they were full of questions about the field, his own passion and his advice for them starting out.

 When talking about his shift from studying law to arts and eventually his current arrival in editing and journalism, Tony emphasised the importance of doing work that you felt had value, saying “I wish someone told me to do something I’d be proud of.” For the students, they received honest and authentic answers to their questions, as well as practical advice and explanation about journalism and finding a great story. The biggest takeaway from the chat was that in whatever you do, journalism or otherwise, work hard at it and you’ll make it good.