UWS recognises local heroes with community awards

Stephanie is a CEO, an entrepreneur, a self-confessed workaholic and a successful small business owner. This should be enough to fill anyone’s working life.  Not for Stephanie, who dedicates a minimum of 25 per cent of her waking hours working for the Parramatta community through her role as President of the Parramatta Chamber of Commerce.

Stephanie participates widely in the community initiatives such as “Relay for Life” and runs a business women’s mentoring program.  Stephanie realised that women have more difficulty climbing the corporate ladder, and her women’s mentoring program provides the tailored support for such women.

In Stephanie’s spare time, she has written a book titled Lingerie Logic and makes time to speak at major events throughout Australia. She was awarded the 2007 and 2009 Entrepreneur of the Year, and is an easily recognised marketing and advertising expert from her appearances on programs such as ‘A Current Affair’. Stephanie’s company, DMC Advertising Group, has been the recipient of many awards, including the prestigious Hills Community Contribution Award in 2009.

Emad Elkheir is the Multicultural Programs Coordinator for the Australian Football League NSW/ACT based in the Greater Western Sydney region. Emad’s parents both migrated to Australia from Lebanon in the early 1970s.  He grew up in Western Sydney with his parents, grandparents and four brothers.  After completing school, Emad accepted an offer from the University of Western Sydney to study a Bachelor of Health Science (PDHPE) Degree, followed by a Masters in Secondary Teaching.

Graduating in 2011, Emad began teaching causally at local Western Sydney schools, before accepting his current position with the AFL NSW/ACT. Emad’s main role with the AFL is in the promotion of Australian Football to diverse communities. Emad goes above and beyond using his passion for football and student mentoring to break down barriers and increase participation by creating pathways to promote talented athletes. Additionally, Emad participates in community events and delivers an Intense English Centre Program and Enrichment Mentoring Program to High School Students in the Western Sydney Region.

Photo: Sally Tsoutas 

Wendie Lambert is the President of Blacktown Computer Pals, which is an organisation which provides information technology classes to older residents in the Blacktown area. It acts as an important community hub for isolated and lonely senior citizens and pensioners. In a world in which simple tasks such as banking, keeping up with news, networking and staying in touch with friends is increasingly occurring in an online environment, Wendie observed a divide developing, isolating older and computer illiterate members of our community, who have found it increasingly difficult over the past decade to access these basic life essential services.  While many of us have seen this happening, particularly in lower socio-economic areas with ageing populations in parts of Western Sydney, Wendie had the initiative to make a tremendous difference in these peoples’ lives.

For nearly a decade, Wendie has been involved with Blacktown Computer Pals.  Computer Pals utilise state of the art technology, providing classes ranging from beginner to advanced, providing services such as scanning, printing, internet access and workshops on a range of subjects from digital photography, image editing and film making.  Clients also learn to use social media and networking tools such as Facebook, Twitter and Skype. Wendie has spent the past three years as the Club’s President, and served as Vice-President for the five years previously, and has been the dynamic force behind the growth and prosperity of the Blacktown Computer Pals’ operation.

Wendie’s skills as a business woman have been evident in her ability to attract support from both community organisations and large corporations, which has allowed her to provide an excellent service at an affordable cost to participants. Wendie is a person who truly understands the importance of community spirit.  She is an outstanding contributor to life in the Blacktown region of Western Sydney.

Diane is a passionate advocate for lifelong learning and community engagement.  She is well known in the Southern Highlands, in Wollondilly and throughout the Greater Western Sydney area, for her volunteer service with St John Ambulance.

Diane has spent the past 44 years dedicated to the promotion of St John Ambulance First Aid skills and sustainable community development.  Her continuous service led to her investiture as a “Serving Sister into the Order of St John” at Government House in 1994. Diane’s volunteering in the region goes above and beyond due to her genuine care and commitment to helping others and saving lives.  In Diane’s volunteering capacity, she has provided numerous lectures and examinations in First Aid, and has provided over thousands of hours of community First Aid at a wide variety of local events and activities.

Whether Diane is providing anything from band-aids and bandages to cardiac arrest intervention, Diane is readily on hand at most local sporting and entertainment events providing the care and service required to support the community.

Eric Brace is the Executive Educational Advisor for the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation (ALNF), where he coordinates the Refugee Action Support and Community Action Support programs.  Eric has been involved in the education sector since he began teaching in 1998 in the alternative education system in San Diego, California.

In Australia, he has worked for the Foundation for Young Australia, where he was in charge of the organisation Youth Participation and Engagement Strategies.  In addition, he has worked as a literacy and learning support teacher for a diverse range of students, including young people with significant learning difficulties as well as English as a Second Language (ESL) students.

His work at the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation also involves activities conducted with remote Indigenous communities.  In relation to research, he is interested in the social construction of literacy, particularly in how social interactions influence literacy engagement and perception.

Photo: Sally Tsoutas 

Julie Jasprizza-Laus has been the driving force behind the Paint Penrith REaD project.  Julie has a passion for children and families having the opportunity to access and benefit from early literacy experiences.  Julie sees opportunities everywhere to spread the word of the benefits of reading, talking, rhyming and singing with young children. She has established reading corners in five schools in St Marys and Paint Penrith REaD’s mascot, Rooby the Reading Kangaroo, visits playgroups and childcare centres as well as local shopping centres.  Robby is a well-known figure in the local area with children flocking to her at sporting and community events, as well as at schools and libraries.

Julie has also negotiated a new partnership with United Way and Penrith City Council to deliver Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in North St Marys, where every child under the age of five will receive a book each month from birth until they turn five years of age.  This is one of two pilot programs in Australia. Julie is also the Team Leader for Families NSW projects, including St Mary’s Hubs, Mt Druitt Hubs and the Young Parents Network, run from the Mission Australia Centre at Kingswood.

Photo: Sally Tsoutas