Meet Our Mentors | YEmpower Australia

Orange and Yellow Pets and Animals Busin

At YEmpower, we believe that mentoring is the only way we will all be able to succeed in this unprecedented world. We need each other and community more now than ever and our partnership program is empowering young people to create change in their own lives and their communities.

We foster learn-it-all rather than a know-it-all spaces where we encourage our mentors to adopt this learning journey as a primary understanding in their mentor partnerships. We aren't afraid to make mistakes and own up to them, learn from them and grow from them.

Our mentors provide our mentees with challenges, resources and encouragement that foster professional and personal development and help our mentees feel like they can take on any challenge with confidence and ease!

In a time where young people need advocates more than ever. Our mentors are ready to step in, advocate and connect our mentees to the opportunities they need to succeed.

Trish Manilla

I have a passion for:

People and human stories, community volunteering and

career ideation and growth.

I truly believe we never stop learning and am now at a stage where I would like not to...

...just to provide a support network and advice to my mentee but to learn with them on their journey.

Edwina Memic

I have a passion for:

Social justice, diplomacy, and peace building.

I know what it is like to feel like the world is against you and no one believes in you, but I have proved countless people wrong.

I believe that the youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow and we should be propping each other up instead of tearing each other down. I know first-hand the benefits of an education and good support, how it can transform someone’s life and I want to help be that guiding force in someone else’s life. I bring with me a wealth of experiences, empathy and compassion.

Atong Kuol

I have a passion for: Disability advocacy and content creation online.

My name is Atong and I work as a support worker in disability care!

I became a mentor to...

...help our youth. Knowing you have someone to ask for help when your in need is really good for you and your mental health and providing that is of great importance.

Robin DeLucia

I have a passion for:

Career coaching and

empathy driven coaching.

I have my own Career Coaching business where I specialise in helping women and migrants find a job they will love. I also run mentoring programs...

...in the workplace and career workshops in high schools. I find it very rewarding to give back the community and when I see someone achieve their goals, it gives me great fulfilment.

Bianca Caruana

I have a passion for: Travel and empathy driven coaching.

My main aims and goals in life are to explore, inspire, educate and share ways that we can bring compassion and ethics into our lives.

I have worked with a number of local and international organisations to create content that promotes social and environmental awareness. I run my own blog and podcast titled The Altruistic Traveller that shares ethical stories and interviews on topics that shape our future for the better. That journey started with the drive to show others how we can bring altruism into our daily lives.

Ngaire Pakai

I have a passion for: Visual arts, student activism and BTS.

I am a proud Wiradjuri and Maori woman from Dubbo NSW. I am currently studying and Bachelor of Education Visual Arts and Drama at the University of...

..Newcastle. I specialize in ceramics and enjoy Indigenous artmaking in my personal art journey. I have been involved in the Newcastle community on campus as a student volunteer, an Indigenous arts mentor, and a student tutor. I consider it important to have a mentee feel validated in their experiences and offering conversation that is 'them' focused.

Michael Reschke

What does success mean to me?

Success is being fulfilled in some areas of your life and having the confidence to work towards fulfilment in those areas of your life where you are not currently fulfilled.

I am currently working as a financial analyst/economist. This is my grad job - I finished uni in 2018, where I did a double degree in finance and economics (honours). I was heavily involved in student advocacy, clubs and societies in uni. I am helping my mentee develop the confidence to build a strong set of beliefs and the drive to pursue what is important to them in their life.

Matt Jeffrey

I have a passion for: Equity, economics, hip-hop, space, humanism and a green future.

I am a hip-hop musician, business developer, web tech, and media creative.

I have had many different industry experiences, in manual labour, in marketing, and in different community organisations like the RFS, bringing an interesting cross-section of experience to push a hopeful future. I am a proud listener and learner, and love imparting knowledge to help people grow.

Angus Berg

I have a passion for: Seeing young people accomplish great things, helping people and engineering.

I worked in Hospitality before moving into professional employment, after graduating uni with...

...First Class Honours. As such, I can guide my mentee to success in both employment and studies across a variety of contexts. I consider willingness to learn, humility and a growth mindset all helpful traits for mentees to showcase.

Ness Song

My mission is to provide young people with the tools, resources and opportunities I wished were accessible to me when I was 17.

Ness has spent the last five years of her professional career working with Young Australians, in high-level organising roles...

...in the student advocacy, the NFP Sector, NSW and Australian Parliament and the Union Movement.

Lucy Gooch Tonga

I'm interested in creating actionable change and helping improve other people’s quality of life in a way that they themselves are capable of! I am drawn to mentoring because I believe it is a fantastic opportunity to do something good

I am passionate about:

Creativity
Environmental rights
Gender equality

Narges Rezahi

I love to help people! I have a passion to help especially young people because they are the future and true happiness comes from helping others in any way we can. My expectation from the mentorship program is to share my knowledge, to gain...

...experience with helping others and I would love to learn from my mentee. I am passionate about empathy and the environment.

Sally Moyle

I have mentored younger people throughout my career and really love helping people find their path and connect with their dream jobs.

’m now retired and doing volunteer work, on boards, advisory bodies and management...

...committees. I am a lawyer by training and have public service and non government expertise including as a CEO. I see success as making a difference to help our society towards justice and equality.

At YEmpower, we believe that mentoring is the only way we will all be able to succeed in this unprecedented world. We need each other and community more now than ever and our partnership program is empowering young people to create change in their own lives and their communities.

​

We foster learn-it-all rather than a know-it-all spaces where we encourage our mentors to adopt this learning journey as a primary understanding in their mentor partnerships. We aren't afraid to make mistakes and own up to them, learn from them and grow from them.

​

Our mentors provide our mentees with challenges, resources and encouragement that foster professional and personal development and help our mentees feel like they can take on any challenge with confidence and ease!

​

In a time where young people need advocates more than ever. Our mentors are ready to step in, advocate and connect our mentees to the opportunities they need to succeed. ​

In a time where young people need advocates more than ever. Our mentors are ready to step in, advocate and connect our mentees to the opportunities they need to succeed.