A few words from young Trystan Treloar

I have been brought up with my culture to be respectful and to be there for my people.

I have always been a  proud First Nations young man with ambitions to be a business owner one day but it all was flipped upside down in my first job as a plumbing apprentice, I started working when I was 16 years old, but I soon realised I wasn’t ready for the workplace, when working around racism, the racial remarks and the lateral racial violence and as it got worse it lead me to drinking every weekend to cope with the after affects that flowed into depression , I tried my best to get out of the negative mind set  but the stress was overwhelming. I had no choice but to leave my job as it was causing more harm and I knew I had remove myself from a toxic environment.

But now unemployed, I’m further from my dreams of owning my own business.

The Reality of Covid set in and before my eyes my dreams were falling apart, it was so devastating!

Two years go by with no job no hope and scared of putting myself back into a environment like that again was only going to lead me with bad intentions, still to this day racism lives and ruins First Nations kids in my situation, it stops us from have a go at getting a job they really want and taking it to greater heights to one day owning a business. More cultural knowledge and acknowledgement of our past country’s history needs to be ingrained in our workplaces

I now have the opportunity to tell my story to someone and that someone is named Fred Hadid. He has heard my story of being in a racist work place and how my dreams of owning my own business were ruined. 

He is willing to give me an opportunity of a life time and get closer to having my own First Nations company.

It will only be achieved when I show my commitment through my hard work ethics and values to strive for ultimate goal.

Freds willingness to mentor my dream is very respected and appreciated.

I am over the moon to hear this because not only do I get to have someone to believe in my dream goal, I get to learn from one of the best in the construction industry.

One day, I get to give the same opportunity to a young Aboriginal person/s in hope of making a change,

I will strive to help our people for a better future by giving the same opportunity, I was given.