Meet Thais, she joins us as our newest Intern supporting the Community Development team.
Learn more about Thais below.
What you are studying?
CommunityDevelopment at Murdoch University
What are you looking forward to in your internship?
I’ve admired ASeTTS for a long time, your mission and the way you support vulnerable people truly fills my heart. I once tried to do my placement with you while studying Community Services at Acknowledge Education, but life had other plans for me.
In 2024, I was honoured to win the WA Training Award for International Student of the Year. That same year, I founded the Brazilian Community Association (May 2024), which opened the door for me to join the CIVAL Program. Through CIVAL, I learned valuable skills in project logic, risk management, evaluation, and community engagement, a rich and impactful course that I always recommend to my friends working in multicultural spaces. My passion for helping my community (Brazilian migrants) and my Christian values align closely with ASeTTS’ mission of supporting refugees to heal and thrive. With this opportunity, I hope to deepen my understanding of collective trauma, settlement programs, and how to support communities through community development tools.
I know I have so much more to learn, and I’m truly grateful for this opportunity.
Something you would like to share with people about yourself/interesting fact
I have lots to say, but it depends on what ASeTTS want to share about me.
For example, I’m an international student, I chose to come to Australia, but that doesn’t mean the journey was easy. I went through culture shock, struggled with adaptation, and faced a significant language barrier. As a dependent on my husband’s visa, I had to teach myself English from scratch while caring for my two babies (and I’m still learning every day). I’ve experienced financial hardship, lived through the challenges of COVID-19, among other difficulties during my time in Australia. What I’ve learned is that many migrants face struggles very similar to those of refugees. But as temporary visa holders, we often don’t have access to the same support systems. That’s why being here at ASeTTS means so much to me. I want to learn from the experts how to support others in need, just like I once needed support myself.
That same year, I founded the Brazilian Community Association (May 2024), which opened the door for me to join the CIVAL Program. Through CIVAL, I learned valuable skills in project logic, risk management, evaluation, and community engagement, a rich and impactful course that I always recommend to my friends working in multicultural spaces. My passion for helping my community (Brazilian migrants) and my Christian values align closely with ASeTTS’ mission of supporting refugees to heal and thrive. With this opportunity, I hope to deepen my understanding of collective trauma, settlement programs, and how to support communities through community development tools.
I know I have so much more to learn, and I’m truly grateful for this opportunity.
Some website links featuring Thais:
AE Student Wins Western Australia International Student of the Year 2024 Award | Acknowledge Education
Western Australia’s International Student of the Year: Thais from Brazil
WA TRAINING AWARDS AMBASSADOR UPDATE | WA Training Awards 2025
