Cobram Secondary College’s George Allen has a lot to celebrate.
He’s been nominated for this year’s Australian Education Awards in the category of Education Rising Star of the Year.
But Mr Allen, who is originally from Perth, may never have become a teacher if it wasn’t for the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I was working professionally as a laboratory manager working on mine sites around Western Australia and Canada,” he said.
“The COVID pandemic provided me an opportunity to reassess my priorities.”
Returning from Canada, Mr Allen began teaching at CSC in 2021 while studying his Masters through the Teach for Australia program.
“I wanted to work with people and in a career that allowed me to belong to a community. Teaching seemed like the obvious choice,” Mr Allen said.
He currently teaches maths and science and is one of the high abilities co-ordinators.
For Mr Allen, maths and science were a natural choice. He believes the subjects will be crucial for the jobs of tomorrow.
“I love maths and science as ways of understanding the world. I love the logic behind the subjects and the problem solving nature of the subjects,” Mr Allen said.
Though teaching is a tough profession, Mr Allen said his biggest joy was being able to work with the college’s students.
“To see the students achieve their goals and successfully reach their post-secondary pathways is inspiring and keeps me coming to work every day.”
When learning he was nominated for an Australian Education Award, Mr Allen said he was overwhelmed and honoured, crediting the staff at CSC for allowing him to grow as a teacher.
“It is incredible to receive this recognition but reflects the level of opportunity and support provided by all of the staff at Cobram Secondary College over my two and a half years at the school,” he said.
As for those thinking about teaching, Mr Allen said it was a rewarding experience.
“It is not always as hard as some people say, it is not always as easy as other people say but it is the most rewarding job I’ve ever done and I would not be doing anything else.”
College principal Kimberley Tempest said Mr Allen’s nomination was well-deserved and that he was a vital part of the school culture.
“George does so much. He is already an amazing teacher but he chases up scholarships for students. He created the lunch time science club program which evolved into the high abilities program,” she said.
“George is already a winner in our eyes.”
The awards night will be held in August in Sydney.