While running his roof tile repair business, Scott Bartils mentored many young men to reach out to support services for their addiction issues. He became so passionate about helping, he decided to undertake a Certificate IV in Alcohol and Other Drugs at Chisholm Institute of TAFE.

The idea of returning to the classroom after more than 15 years was daunting at first. As a tradie, he was also nervous about having to use technology, such as the MyChisholm student portal, for his studies. Instead of seeing these things as barriers, he saw them as opportunities for growth and learning.

From day one, Scott threw himself into his studies; he was the first to arrive in class and the last to leave. If there was something he didn’t understand, he would challenge himself to learn it, and then help explain it to his classmates as well.

He genuinely believes that recovery is both possible and probable for most people and continues to provide support to those on their recovery journey.

We congratulate Scott, on being selected as a finalist in the Vocational Student of the Year category of the 2024 Chisholm Education Awards.

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