MS TIERNEY: Taya Davies from Barwon Heads is the 2020 Victoria Young Australian of the Year. Taya works with the Department of Education and Training in the Geelong region in support of disengaged young people of high school age, currently as a coordinator and manager. She brings her social values not only to these programs but to her broader community role. Recently she has coordinated a six-week surfing and community immersion program for young asylum seekers as a volunteer. She is driven by her own very challenging personal experience in childhood—determined to progress the lives of young people disadvantaged by family income, disability and exclusion from society. Her work gives important leadership in a crucial area of our community. Both of these Victorian Australians of the Year are truly inspirational. (Time expired)
Category: Parliament
