Congratulations to Aref Ahmadi of the Grange Lawn Tennis Club!
Aref is the winner of the Multicultural Youth South Australia (MYSA) Spirit of Resilience Award, announced at the Channel 9 Young Achiever Awards on the weekend.
Aref Ahmadi, 25 of Brooklyn Park was only 14 when his family fled Afghanistan and arrived in Australia as refugees. He graduated in 2013 and works as a full time accountant. Aref has volunteered for 5 years mentoring ‘At Risk’ young people, assisting them to successfully complete schooling. He has raised over $5,000 for the Grange Lawn Tennis Club, where he is also Treasurer. Aref hosts an annual multicultural tennis tournament, encouraging refugee kids to get involved, breaking down barriers to settlement like racism and social isolation.
Aref started out as a new participant who just wanted to learn how to play tennis. He has since progressed his passion for the sport by attending the Junior Development Course and now runs the program. He has been an integral part of growing the program and getting new families involved. What an inspiring young man!
The MYSA Spirit of Resilience Award seeks to recognise young people from Migrant or Refugee backgrounds who have overcome significant adversity and have used this experience to encourage and enrich the lives of others in the community. Nominees will have demonstrated a contribution to their communities (e.g volunteered their time in activities, initiatives, projects, events) and stand out as a mentor for other young people.
These are young people who have, despite experiencing rough times, demonstrated qualities that MYSA as an organisation values and fosters such as leadership, resilience, empathy and altruism. They will have demonstrated kindness, decency and perseverance within their own context.
Latest
SA