From student to volunteer – How Abby’s experiences in Morawa shaped her journey with Teach Learn Grow.
Meet Abby Hennighan
Abby with her Teach Learn Grow tutor in the white shirt, and another Morawa student on the right with her tutor.
From Morawa Student to TLG Volunteer
Abby Hennighan remembers the day Teach Learn Grow (TLG) first came to her school in Morawa, a small farming town four hours in the Mid West Region of Perth, like it was yesterday. The school week had begun as usual and routine, but then the TLG tutors arrived, bringing energy, enthusiasm, and a sense that learning could be fun. For a student who had always felt nervous about maths, it was a turning point week where confidence and curiosity grew alongside knowledge.
Growing up in a close-knit rural community shaped Abby in many ways. Morawa gave her a passionate sense of belonging, but it also came with the realities of a small-town school: fewer resources, limited opportunities, and the feeling that some doors were harder to open than others. Reflecting on those early TLG visits, she realises how much they helped her navigate these challenges. The tutors not only made maths enjoyable, but they also instilled a quiet confidence she did not realise she needed at the time.
Abby with her Rural Program Group.
That confidence stayed with her through high school and into university, and when the chance came to volunteer with TLG, Abby knew exactly what she wanted to do. She wanted to give back what she had received, to be the person who could make learning exciting and encouraging for students just as her tutors had done for her.
Returning to the classroom as a volunteer was a full-circle moment. Abby felt the weight and warmth of the experience — remembering herself on the other side of the table, nervous but inspired, and now being the one to inspire. Her rural upbringing gave her insight into the perspectives of the students she tutored, particularly Year 6 students preparing to move to Perth for high school.
She could empathise with their nerves and offer reassurance in a way that only someone who had lived it could.
Some moments from her volunteering that still make her smile. A Year 6 student who had doubted she could go to university left the week believing she could. A shy Pre-Primary student, hesitant at first, ended the program running over excited to engage with learning. These small but profound transformations are exactly what drew Abby back and kept her coming back.
Abby’s story is about more than maths or school lessons; it is about connection, encouragement, and the lasting impact of education and TLG. She encourages students to seize every opportunity and reminds volunteers that even the smallest conversations can leave a lasting impression. For Abby, TLG was life-changing as a student, and it continues to be life-changing now as a volunteer.
From a student in Morawa to a confident volunteer giving back to her community, Abby’s journey shows how TLG inspires confidence, fosters learning, and builds meaningful connections that stretch far beyond the classroom.
“In her own words, Teach Learn Grow is “inspiring and life-changing for both tutors and students,” a program that has inspired her own life and continues to impact countless others.”
Abby with her Rural Program Group, fourth from the left.
Written by Neve Gulvin (Marketing Officer)