Local heroes visit
In Term 3, our English class studied texts that represent local heroes, defining them as anyone who is willing to help and take action for someone else in need. We had the pleasure of having two special guests visit, both who are considered to be local heroes by their communities. We had the opportunity to prepare questions for them and participate in a group interview to learn more about them and find out how they have helped their local communities.
11 English Studies with Mrs Shirley Foran
Shirley Foran’s home town is Gilgandra, North of Dubbo. From our research we learned that it is a small town with a very tight-knit community. Mrs Foran has contributed to her community in many ways, such as successfully campaigning to have a radiation treatment centre built in Dubbo to reduce the travelling endured by patients and their families. She also established the first centre for the St Vincent de Paul Society and created a support program for victims of domestic violence in her local community. Mrs Foran shared her story with us and told us that everything she has done for others was her calling to serve God. She touched everyone with her inspiring words about giving back to her local community. She had us all listening and thinking about how we can possibly give back to our own community in our own way or how we can help others too.
After our Preliminary Exams, we met Superintendent Trent Lawrence from NSW Fire and Rescue. He shared some stories to give us insight into how officers are exposed to danger, and also helped us to realise how grateful we are to have them in our lives. Supt Lawrence explained how mental health is so important for our ability to work, and that Fire and Rescue officers can be affected by the confronting situations they are faced with every day. Supt Lawrence inspired us to see that difficult challenges can lead us to positive results and a career in service to others can be very rewarding.
We are very grateful for the time Mrs Foran and Supt Lawrence took to visit us and we know their stories will stay with us forever.
By Gemma P and Yutika P, Year 11 English Studies
