Murdoch Journalism and Law student Zahra Al Hilaly has been announced as one of two Youth Week WA ambassadors for this year.

Imagine being born a first-generation Australian to parents of Iraq and Palestinian descent. You grow up learning their stories on migrating from refugee camps in Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

Surrounded by a myriad of cultures and languages at home, in school and in your local community is your norm. After seeing others, like you, being treated differently, you develop a passion for helping the disadvantaged.

So you become a member of the national Youth Advisory Group for White Ribbon, Headspace, Red Cross, Young Women’s Council of Australia, a Shout Out speaker for the Youth Affairs Council of WA and a National Multicultural Ambassador for MYAN Australia.

And you do it all by the age of 19.

That’s the story of Murdoch student and recently announced ambassador for Youth Week WA 2020, Zahra Al Hilaly.

A well-respected leader in her community, Ms Hilaly has been chosen as one of two young spokespeople and champions for the week-long event, celebrating the brilliant young people of WA.

The Youth Week WA ambassador says she is most excited about working with Western Australian youth to amplify their stories, using this event to provide the platform and audience they might not otherwise have.

“It is so important to encourage young people to understand the value of their voices and so I believe that through this role, I can certainly achieve that,” she said.

Most recently, she co-facilitated the national Youth Settlement Forum for WA and was selected as part of the United Nations +25 Youth Task Force for 2020.

“I am so grateful to have had the chance to visit the United Nations and met many iconic women that inspire me every day,” shared Ms Al Hilaly.

She credits her passion for encouraging young people to speak up on issues affecting them to having a strong connection with her Iranian and Palestinian culture.

“Being a young person of colour, I’ve experienced my fair struggles with self-empowerment, which is why I enjoy working with youth from culturally and linguistically different (CALD) backgrounds become more involved and feel empowered within their broader community,” she said.

The Youth Week WA ambassador is currently studying a double major in Law and Journalism at Murdoch University.

She hopes to become a human rights lawyer specifically focusing on immigration and refugee law.

“Law has the power to not only influence change in our current society but for future generations, before it’s even an issue for them,” said Ms Al Hilaly.

“This degree will give me more of a platform to highlight their voices, share their thoughts and tell their stories.”

Other career plans for Ms Al Hilaly include starting her own social enterprise, as well as working within war torn countries to help encourage the growth of the individuals residing in these regions, sharing their incredible stories with the rest of the world.

“I think about my parents’ journey to Australia and I can’t imagine ever letting their stories die,” she said.

Ms Al Hilaly will work closely with the Youth Week WA planning committee, Propel Youth Arts WA and the Department of Communities to promote, support and develop Youth Week WA 2020.

Youth Week WA provides the wider community with the opportunity to listen to young people, celebrate their positive contributions to the community and hear about issues that affect their lives.

For more information on the event, visit the Youth Week WA website.