Zack, a third year teaching student at Notre Dame's Sydney Campus, credits his primary school teacher with helping him to succeed. He now wants to share his experiences to assist students with learning difficulties to overcome the odds.

"When I was young I struggled with my dyslexia and had severe learning difficulties, but my Year Four teacher was able to turn that around. And from there I started to believe in myself," Zack says. "My goal is to give back as a teacher – giving children with learning difficulties the opportunity to overcome the odds.

"I want to encourage young students to reach for the sky,” he says. “They need to know no matter what negative things they are told it is possible to achieve your goals."

One of the reasons Zack chose to do his Bachelor of Education degree at Notre Dame was because of the university’s strong commitment to hands-on practical teaching experience.

"As student teachers we gain up to 33 weeks of professional placement – that unique experience will give me the practical knowledge, confidence and insights for when I graduate and work in my first school," he says.