Lead from the front: The year 12 students who want to make an impact
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Roaa Ahmed is 18, but she’s no stranger to protesting for change. At just 10 years old, she took to the streets with thousands during the Egyptian revolution. Soon after authorities came banging on the door to arrest her teenage brother. “We were that type of family where we go and protest; we don’t keep silent,” she says.
The family fled Egypt and arrived in Australia in 2018 where Roaa found herself seeking advice from strangers on the streets of Bankstown. They pointed her to the local library and intensive English centre, which quickly changed her life. Two years later she is fluent in English, scoring top marks and preparing for her HSC at Beverly Hills Girls’ High School, where she is also on the student representative council.