Maria Vamvakinou (Calwell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yesterday I attended a very special church service led by Father Maher Gurges of the St George Chaldean Church in Campbellfield. I joined hundreds of my local Iraqi Chaldean parishioners in a very special ceremony recognising the efforts of our young Chaldean Iraqi students. Some 20 students were recognised, a combination of VCE graduates and university graduates. Amongst the university graduates, we congratulated a doctor of medicine, an environmental architect and a number of teaching graduates. With the VCE graduates, I want to particularly mention Miriam Hurmez Hani, who ended up being in the top 10 in the state of Victoria in the subject of English; and Saoresho Hurmez Hani, who ended up being in the top 10 in the state of Victoria for mathematics. Both of those students were students at Essendon Keilor College. I had the opportunity to meet with them yesterday to congratulate them and, of course, share the excitement and pride with their families. Father Maher told us at the congregation yesterday that 'we are producing a new generation of doctors, lawyers, architects and teachers here in our new homeland'. I want to congratulate the community for the incredible amount of work that they do for the young people.