By Tate Papworth
A Keilor Downs teacher wants to use her voice to help Victoria’s youth.
Nicole Comelli is one of 19 young people from across the state, selected to join the Andrews Labor government’s second Victorian Youth Congress.
Members of the youth congress will meet with government ministers, advising on areas of concern and shaping government policies, programs and services affecting young Victorians.
At 24, Ms Comelli is one of the senior members of the group and hopes her experience will prove to be an asset.
“I think I might have an interesting perspective. I’m a high school teacher so I work with young people, but I also fit in the young person bracket as well,” Ms Comelli said.
“I hope to be able to bring in my knowledge and passion for social education and student wellbeing.
“I also hope to learn about the different issues young people in Victoria are facing and then bring that knowledge back into the schools I’m working at.”
Ms Comelli said the diversity of the group was one of the main reasons she applied.
“Every school I’ve been at so far has been completely different to the previous, which made it clear there’s different issues all across the state,” she said.
“The team we’re working with is really diverse – it has people from really remote areas and people with diverse backgrounds. It’s interesting to see how different experiences impact these young people.”
The group held its first meeting earlier this month.
“We meet once a month as a group and work on an issue we identify as being important for young people. At the moment we think it’ll be about political engagement for young people,” Ms Comelli said.
“We’ll research the issue, look to see where there’s gaps and then try to put together recommendations for the youth minister.”
