27 Jul 2021
At the ACT NAIDOC Ball, Lachlan Eveston enjoyed the celebrations and inspiring stories of the nominees.
He himself had also been nominated for an award, Scholar of the Year, for his dedication to his university studies and work at a local ACT public school.
He’d brought his family along to enjoy the celebrations but wasn’t confident that he’d be among the award winners that night– that was, until they called his name.
“My mum, my girlfriend and sister were there, the very important women in my life. Seeing their faces when I got up was so special to me, to have them all there was just awesome,” Lachlan said.
Although he’s extremely humble about this achievement, it’s clear to see why he was nominated for the award.
Lachlan is currently in his third year of a primary teaching degree and works as a Youth Worker at Theodore Primary School, where’s he’s had a profound impact in just 12 months as part of the community.
In his role as a Youth Worker, Lachlan has worked in both a learning support and behavioural support capacity, often assisting teachers by taking students for a break in the school’s Blue Room, a calming space where they can recentre before heading back to class for learning.
“Maybe they’re having some difficulties in class, or maybe there’s something going on at home, I can bring the kids to our Blue Room where we can talk and resolve how they’re feeling,” Lachlan said.
“This semester, I’ve also been getting back to the classrooms as a learning support assistant, which is a great balance. I could be at a 1/2 class for a day to help with their learning and 5/6 class the next,” Lachlan said.
Lachlan also mentors students at the school who identify as Aboriginal, supporting them to share their culture with their peers. As a result, the children have built up their sense of pride and confidence.
Drawing on his own experiences as an Aboriginal man, along with the academic knowledge he has gained through his university studies, Lachlan leads Theodore’s teaching staff in embedding authentic cultural perspectives across teaching and learning at the school.
He also heads the school’s Culture Club, which centres around cultural integrity and involving students in learning histories and cultures.
“It started as a club for the Indigenous students and that was awesome, but I really wanted to bring the non-indigenous kids in there too. We’ve been playing Yulunga games and making emu callers and didgeridoos, which the kids are really loving,” Lachlan said.
Although Lachlan is clearly passionate about education and making a difference in the lives of young people, he hadn’t always planned to pursue a teaching career.
He was inspired to take up primary teaching after a rewarding visit to a Cambodian sister school during year 11.
“Going through high school I absolutely loved animals and always thought I was going to be a VET scientist. In year 11 I visited Cambodia and worked in a school there helping to teach English, build huts and develop classrooms. It was a complete diversion from what I thought I’d do after school, but that first teaching experience set me on the path,” Lachlan said.
Lachlan plans to join the ACT teaching community once he graduates from university next year and, having had a taste of what lies ahead in his career, is confident that he’s where he’s supposed to be.
“I absolutely love the young fellas and girls. It’s a good feeling to be in the right place.”