Alumni Profile JAMIE VALDES - Class of 2014 Interviewed by Rose Parente decision to study a Bachelor of Education (Primary) at ACU and I’ve been extremely happy with this decision.
What year did you finish at St Aloysius? I completed Year 12 VCE in 2014. What study did you undertake after Year 12? After graduating from Year 12, I was accepted to study a Bachelor of Nursing degree at the Australian Catholic University (ACU). After a year and a half there was a turn of events and I realised that although I enjoyed studying the content in my nursing degree, I was still unhappy. It was my nursing placement that gave me the realisation of not seeing myself in this profession for the rest of my life. As I faced the obstacles and the immense pressure of having to think of what I wanted to study, after many prayers, thoughts, wisdom and support from family and friends, there, instilled in my heart, was the impact and difference I wanted to make especially in children’s lives. I made the
10 Always Aloysius – Winter Edition, 2019
What influenced your choice of career? For as long as I can remember, I knew wholeheartedly that I wanted to strive to live a life that helped others and made a positive difference in people’s lives. Since I was a little girl, I played teacher and looked up to my teachers. They always had such big hearts and made an impact on my education. When I was 17 years old, I became a church youth leader which opened up a multitude of wonderful experiences. I had the opportunity to speak in front of many young kids and teenagers, and to teach them more about the Catholic faith. I enjoyed encouraging children and teenagers, helping them to realise their potential and help shape the person they may ultimately become. I felt in my heart the need to help young people see their strengths and face the challenges that will essentially help them to become the best people they can. I believed teaching to be a pathway to allow me to do just that. Study/career/travel highlights In February 2018, I was blessed with the opportunity to be one of five Australian Volunteer Missionaries to travel to the Philippines to work with the poor. When I learnt of this opportunity, I was incredibly anxious but despite all my worries prior
to the journey, this was an unforgettable experience. I spent the entire month volunteering alongside four girls and a consecrated lay woman and developed a really strong bond with each of them. We spent the month visiting and feeding poor children and their families in their homes, teaching children at schools about the Catholic faith and spending time with children at hospitals and adoption centres. There were many laughs, and tears throughout the weeks – our hearts were so full. This experience turned my life around and changed my perspective on aspects of life. In turn, it made me eternally grateful for what and how much we have here, because the families we visited had the utmost joy and happiness despite how little they had. What skills have you learnt? Throughout my years studying to become a teacher and being a youth ministry leader, I have gained a multitude of skills from my experiences. I have learnt the importance of communication. Communication is not only important in the workforce, but also in our relationships with others. With communication comes great listening and honesty. Communication allows people to share ideas. It gives people a voice when people are listening. Communication involves learning how to listen and to understand one another, which is a great skill to have for the rest of your life.
