By Luke D’Anello
CHRISTIAN Camilleri will never shy away from offering a helping hand.
The Hoppers Crossing resident was recently presented with the Wyndham Mayoral Youth award in the community service, volunteering and leadership category for the June quarter.
The award is designed to promote the achievements of young people – aged between 12 and 25 – in Wyndham.
Mr Camilleri, 20, was rewarded with a $500 prize, which will be put towards future study at Melbourne University.
He is studying commerce, but is looking to make the move into a three-year law degree next year.
“I guess I don’t expect to receive recognition for my community involvement. But it was a surprise and it was nice to receive that recognition,” Mr Camilleri said of the award.
“It really does affirm the work you do in the community.”
Mr Camilleri’s next aim is to become a human rights lawyer for refugees.
“That’s the path I’m aiming on going down at the moment. I suppose that’s why I want to go in to law because it will provide me with the background and the practice to be able to help people.
“I think (refugees) is quite a current issue and there is a lot of reform in the area.
“Advocacy at the moment is a big thing, so I think that representation is important in the future.”
Mr Camilleri is also developing a project with two other students to help support carers at university as part of his studies.
“It’s basically to link carers at the university. We’re running a workshop in a month’s time to encourage carers to look after their own personal health and well-being.”
In an exhausting schedule, he is on the Wyndham Legal Service committee of management.
Mr Camilleri is part of a team focusing on the strategic direction of the service.
“I think being able to interact with the community and tailor to their needs through the Wyndham Legal Service (is satisfying).
“It’s not just the personal satisfaction. You can see, first-hand, the results of your efforts, I suppose.”
For the moment, human rights law is his favoured career destination.
