As soon as Rafeef Al-Majidi spoke at the Sydney Town Hall, it was apparent why the Miller Technology High School student had been selected as student speaker for the 2025 Proudly Public Awards.

Born in Iraq, her ethnic and religious group is Mandaean, a persecuted minority from the south of the country.

With confidence and sincerity, Rafeef told of a childhood enduring discrimination due to her religion and gender, the loss of loved ones in war and ongoing instability – and how arriving in Australia as an 8-year-old refugee in 2017 was a “profoundly revolutionary experience” because at her school she could see a way to achieve her potential for the first time in her life.

“The public education system is one of our great national treasures,” the Year 10 student said.

“It is a place where people are not only recognised but encouraged and empowered to succeed.

“This experience has transformed my life, and the lives of everyone in front of me and around me; my siblings, my community and the more than 700,00 students I share our system with.”

The Proudly Public Awards celebrate the hard work and dedication of staff and students in our public schools by providing scholarships to help recipients with learning costs.

Miss Al-Majidi says that her scholarship will assist with school expenses including textbooks, excursion fees, uniform and extracurricular activities.

This will allow her to use her limited savings for other important things, like obtaining her driver's license and passport.

NSW Department of Education Secretary Murat Dizdar thanked the Public Education Foundation for its unwavering commitment to supporting public education.

“It was fantastic to celebrate the lifechanging impact our schools have on young lives at the Proudly Public Awards,” Mr Dizdar said.

“As a proud beneficiary of public education, I will always believe in its transformative powers for students and young people.”

“The students honoured tonight are proof of that potential being realised and the teachers, school leaders and families in their corner.”

Almost 300 students, staff and recent graduates from NSW public schools received awards in Sydney on Tuesday 13 May, with a full list of recipients available at the Public Education Foundation website.

In 2025 the foundation is supporting more than 800 scholars across Australia, a record number of scholarships which are entirely supported by donations.

The NSW Department of Education is proud to be a major partner of the Public Education Foundation.