WODONGA continues to prosper at the hands of its youth, with two young people yesterday sharing the title of the city’s young citizen of the year.
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Natasa Sojic and Liam Shay were both described as leaders in the community who followed their passions.
Mr Shay, 19, suffered a cardiac arrest four years ago while holidaying in New Zealand.
He stopped breathing and was left with a brain injury.
But that hasn’t stopped him from helping others and he volunteers with the YMCA Heads Together program supporting youth with an acquired brain injury.
He has also been involved in Refugee Week, REDfest, Wodonga Children’s Fair, the Carevan winter sleepout, Carnivale Wodonga, Probus and the Belvoir Special School Special Olympics.
Mr Shay has also helped young people and children with disabilities through the Interchange program, all while studying a double diploma of community services and case management at Wodonga TAFE.
“I’m incredibly proud, you have no idea how much this means to me,” he said.
“To be a Wodonga citizen is to be proud of what we have here.
“We have a council that supports us, which was recently seen by its support for gay marriage, and everyone works together to create beautiful things.
“But the people make it what it is and there are no words to express my pride in this city.”
Ms Sojic, 18, is an environmental “warrior” — an organiser and participant of Clean Up Australia Day and National Tree Day.
In 2013 she was nominated for the RED Carpet Youth Awards and was involved in the Victorian Youth Parliament program.
Ms Sojic said being named young citizen of the year was an honour because she was the only person in her family born in Australia after they fled Bosnia to escape the civil war 20 years ago.
“My family came here with nothing and they started from the bottom and now we are here,” she said.
“They are really proud of me because they still feel new to the country, so this has been really exciting.”
Mayor Rod Wangman said all the Australia Day award winners were humble, quiet and hardworking.
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