Imagine this… you are a trained primary school teacher in a rural area in your early 20’s and there is a high school teacher shortage in the area school that you work in. Next minute you are called upon to teach a group of students in a specialised subject you have never taught before.

Then… one of your students passes away. Not that much younger than herself, Sam found herself as a teacher, a role of leadership, while having to support her students through such a tough time. Living and working in a small rural community, the ripple effect that something like this has on the community as a whole is massive. Since then Sam has continued to be a teacher while supporting her husband on their farm and their two children. She spent years as a volunteer for St John ambulance where she has seen immense tragedy and hardship. With the loss of her mother and supporting me through my loss, Sam knows all too well how rural communities need to band together in times of need and how important it is for us to speak up so that we are less likely to feel alone and isolated.