Monith Canonigo
Due to her own lived experiences with alcohol and other drugs, Monith is motivated to create a career dedicated to supporting others.
When she started the full time Bachelor of Community Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs at Chisholm Institute of TAFE, she was nervous as she hadn’t studied for many years and didn’t know what to expect. Fortunately, Chisholm’s counsellors and staff helped her to succeed.
In class, no one really focused on her past and she soon realised that she wasn’t alone; other students had their own life experiences to share too. With each class, Monith gained confidence. And as a volunteer in the Needle & Syringe Program at Monash Health, she gained additional real-life experience.
After having been told so many times that she didn’t have what it took to study or be a success, she is now highly respected by her fellow students and educators. She encourages those who may struggle with their studies, brings students together and refuses to let her past determine her future.
Eager to make a difference for others, she started a new position as the Lived Experience Workforce Development Officer with the Self-Help Addiction Resource Centre (SHARC). This important role assists the SHARC Peer Projects Team to build and strengthen the peer workforce in the AOD sector, through training, networking and collaboration.
Monith was named Higher Education Student of the Year (Domestic) at the 2024 Chisholm Education Awards. When she accepted the award, she took the opportunity to champion other people, like herself, who had overcome lived experience to contribute to the mental health sector.