Freya Vernon

I am currently employed by Delaware North, working in hospitality across venues such as the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Marvel Stadium. Currently, I work in both front- and back-of-house and have experience in;

• food preparation,
• kitchen duties,
• till work
• customer service.

I have experience in dealing with large volumes of customers and am able work well under pressure.

I have been a babysitter for children from newborn to 12 years of age. I had a regular nannying position for two years with a local family. Responsibilities included;

• food preparation and bedtime routines
• activity planning and supervising
• ensuring the children were safe and emotionally secure

Skills required were problem solving, organisation, creativity and a sense of fun.

I have been involved in Point Lonsdale Surf Life Saving Club since I was 7 years old. I completed the Nipper program and completed my Surf Rescue Certificate.I then went on to do further training to become a Nipper Instructor, a role I held for 3 years. Responsibilities of the role included;

• Delivering the year-level theory program and organising my group to complete the daily physical program
• Managing any behaviours of concern and alerting the Parent Leaders to any concerns if needed
• Promoting a positive group identity of inclusion and mutual support and ensuring all members of the group had opportunities to participate

Skills required were leadership, positive role modelling, and organisation.

As part of the Year 9 school curriculum, I completed the residential program located in Clunes, a regional town in Victoria. The program is designed to enhance independence, flexibility and responsibility. Students live away from home for the whole term (10 weeks), with one family visit in that time.

We lived in groups of 8 with a mix of students from different campuses in each house. Each house was responsible for;

• managing its own budget
• shopping for and cooking most meals
• negotiating and following a cleaning roster.

Teachers supervised the house through a weekly house meeting but students were generally expected to manage their daily living duties between the members of their house.

While at Clunes, I volunteered at the local IGA supermarket and at a farm, as well as getting involved in the community through playing on the local football team.

The Clunes experience equipped me with some basic life skills and gave me confidence in my ability to look after myself living away from home. Living in a shared house, I learned important skills in tolerance, negotiation and problem-solving.

In 2023, I successfully applied for inclusion in the Indigenous Studio School residential program based in the Kimberley, a remote region of Western Australia. Our small group of Victorian Wesley students shared the boarding house with local indigenous students who were attending the Studio School, and we completed daily activities and projects that explored local culture and developed ties with local communities.

The experience developed an appreciation of Indigenous culture and further enhanced my confidence is looking after myself, and building positive relationships with people from a range of backgrounds.