Anne Parisianne
Roda Alako, a 20-year-old Craigieburn resident and Kangan Institute student, is thrilled to be part of an impressive ceramic art installation for the institute’s new Health and Community Centre of Excellence.
Ms Alako, along with 11 fellow students from the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP), has crafted a collection of 16 ceramic art pieces.
Each piece is a unique testament to the students’ diverse backgrounds and individual stories.
Renowned ceramic artist Cinda Manins guided the art installation themed ‘Unity and Diversity’, helping the students channel their personal experiences and identities into their work.
For Ms Alako, her piece, featuring the profile of a face surrounded by flowers, symbolises joy through art.
“I like drawing. When I was smaller, I faced bullying (and) I was stressed in school in Lebanon. But it made me feel happy and at peace when I did my art. It was like my little space when I was stressed,“ Ms Alako said.
“(My art) is going in the new building at Kangan; that’s what made me more excited to do it. I hope they (new students) will feel a bit excited to know who Roda is and they are happy when they see my art,“ she said.
“I just want to tell them – trust yourself, be strong, don’t be too afraid or scared… you can do anything you want. Just believe in yourself.“
Ms Alako, who has been studying at Kangan Institute for one and half years, has progressed from level one to level three in the AMEP.
Beyond honing her artistic skills, she treasures her friendships and sense of belonging on campus.
This sense of community is something she hopes to share with future students at the new centre.
Roda’s aspirations extend beyond art.
She is considering a future in health, with a particular interest in dentistry.
“I’d like to study dentistry; maybe in the future I can come here,“ she said.
The $60 million Health and Community Centre of Excellence is set to open in 2025 at Broadmeadows campus. Once completed, it will integrate state-of-the-art training facilities with industry best practices, addressing critical skills shortages in aged care, mental health, disability, pathology, allied health and early childhood education and care.
It will accommodate up to 670 students at a time, providing access to quality educational facilities and opportunities as they prepare for in-demand future jobs.
The ceramic art installation, embodying the students’ rich diversity, will be a permanent feature in the new centre, symbolising the vision of the Broadmeadows Campus as a place of belonging for all learners.
“I think the centre will be a good thing. It’ll be full of technology. It’ll be helpful for new students who’d like to study here,“ Ms Alako said.
Kangan Institute CEO Sally Curtain said, “We are thrilled to see the passion and creativity of our students embodied in ceramic art for our new Health and Community Centre of Excellence.“
“Thanks to the Victorian government’s investment Kangan Institute will be able to provide more in demand training to the next generation of health care workers and address critical skills shortages in our state from the heart of Broadmeadows,“ Ms Curtain said.
“Together with project, industry and community partners, this new facility means Kangan Institute will be better able to meet current and future health needs in the community and create pathways to rewarding new jobs.“
