What drew you to working in the CALD space?
I have spent most of my career doing research and training in Indonesia and Timor-Leste, and so moving into the CALD space in Australia was a significant shift. But it occurred to me during the COVID lockdowns that so many of the things I have been working on in other countries would be easier to tackle if we here in Australia had addressed some of the major unresolved issues around our relationships with our First Nations populations and with migrants and refugees. I realised that personally I had not spent enough time trying to understand these issues, so I decided to shift focus.
What’s the most rewarding moment from your time at CIRCA?
I don’t think there is one moment, but since I started six months ago, I have loved how much there is to learn. I have learnt how to use Trello to manage our many different projects, I have been given opportunities to improve my evaluation skills, and have had the privilege of learning from Pino, Lena and the rest of the team about the different organisations and clients we work with. I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunities CIRCA offers to build my skills, networks and knowledge.
Also – I absolutely love working in a team where everyone has curly hair. Never happened before!
Favourite country you’ve lived in and why
I have lived in a few different countries and have loved different things about each place, so it is hard to say which is my favourite. But my favourite thing about moving to a new place is that slow realisation that I am no longer ‘new’, no longer a ‘visitor’, but that I actually belong to a community. It happens differently in each place, but what I love is that moment when I know I am connected to others, where I recognise people on the street and where I know my way around the back streets and can find just the kind of food I feel like.
You can read the profiles of Lena and the rest of our team here: https://www.circaresearch.com.au/team/
Recent Comments