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On Wednesday night the Rotary Club of Berwick had the honour to welcome a former Harkaway Primary and Berwick College student and now a Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. Brad Battin has been the Member for Gembrook since 2010.
Brad firmly believes that “family, school and social networks are a vital part of the young person’s reconnection to education and employment”, sentiments that align with the values and goals of Rotary.
Brad is an inspiring speaker and what makes him special is that he can relate from his own experiences as a teenager working at McDonald’s and later in a menswear retail shop, as a police officer working with young people at the coal face, as a business owner, as a dedicated husband and father, and now as a politician. Throughout it all it is clear that Brad has remained true to himself and his community.
All those in attendance were simply inspired by his candid disposition, his positive outlook on life and his belief in the value of the individual no matter their circumstances.
Brad said that it was Rotary that supported his scholarship to Melbourne University to complete a Graduate Diploma in Adolescent Health and Welfare. This qualification provided him with the tools to make a difference in the lives of those young people who are most at risk. Brad was instrumental in launching the Operation Newstart program when he worked at the Dandenong Police station. The program now operates throughout Victoria and aims to address the needs of students at risk in the middle years of their secondary schooling.
Making a difference is also what motivated his entrance into the political arena in 2010.
Brad says that “there is still more to be done” and that he is “as committed as ever to ensure young people have a strong future”. Brad acknowledged the opportunity that Rotary gave him as a young man and believes that the work that Rotary and other organisations like it do to help develop young people is absolutely invaluable.
Keep up the great work Brad and thank you for your insightful and inspiring presentation.
