Teenage volunteer to championing the future of healthcare
Joining his grandmother volunteering at a local aged care facility at the age of 15, Shaun Lacey discovered a passion for caring for others.
More than 30 years later, he is inspiring the next generation of healthcare workers to care for some of our community’s most vulnerable.
Mr Lacey was offered a full-time position at the aged care facility where he volunteered with his grandmother and, by the age of 17, his career in healthcare had taken off.
Later, he completed a Certificate III in Aged Care and a Diploma of Nursing, becoming an enrolled nurse.
“Aged care is such a rewarding career. When I first started, every single person I cared for was a World War II Veteran and had served this country,” Mr Lacey said.
“It was such a privilege to serve them and give back to a generation that has provided us with so much.”
Currently an educator in Mater Education’s Vocational Education and Training in Schools (VETiS) program, Mr Lacey, 47, inspires high school students to take their first step into a career in healthcare by studying a Certificate II in Health Support Services and Certificate III in Health Services Assistance.
“I still love teaching as much as the day I started more than 20 years ago. I get the opportunity to share my lived experience with the students I teach. If they are genuinely passionate about this career, the possibilities are endless,” Mr Lacey said.
“The amazing thing about Mater Education is that you are studying at the only hospital-based Registered Training Organisation in Queensland. You get to see what a career in healthcare would be like in an immersive way.”
Mr Lacey recently witnessed the impact of his work when a 15-year-old student saved a life.
"This student was fishing during the holidays when he saw a woman collapse from a heart attack," Mr Lacey recalled.
"He and another bystander performed CPR, and she survived. I had just taught him CPR one month prior. Because of what he had learned at Mater, he knew exactly what to do."
Mr Lacey’s passion for teaching remains ever-present on the whiteboard at the start of every class he teaches.
“I put five rules on the board; be kind, be supportive, be respectful, ask questions and have fun. Sometimes, when I forget to erase the board rules for the next teacher, I find they are left up,” Mr Lacey said.
“It’s nice to see that when I walk into the classroom.”
Are you a senior high school student eager to pursue a career in health?
Learn more about our Vocational Education and Training in Schools program here