If you have walked into Integreat Queensland’s Gladstone office, you would have been met by the smiling face of Samantha Codrington, our Administration & Review Coordinator.
What you may not know however, Samantha also offers program support and training across most of Integreat Queensland’s initiatives including our Get Work Ready, Learning for the Future, and the Little Steps Multicultural Playgroup programs.
“At the moment, I’m facilitating a Transition to Kindy program at the Playgroup as well as implementing Lunch Box Nutrition and Food Sessions as my background was originally in clinical nutrition.”
Samantha moved to Gladstone with her husband and four children in January of 2019 due to her husband securing permanent employment as a Shipping Pilot.
“It’s been fantastic. My family have really submerged themselves in the Gladstone community which of course usually happens when you have children. We now feel we are a part of this amazing community so much so; we have bought a home and are now truly settled.”
Samantha has never worked for an organisation like Integreat Queensland and said she was inspired to work there due to the association’s philosophy of helping everyone from everywhere integreat into the community.
“Integreat Queensland is opening up opportunities for people through many of their programs which have been specifically designed for the needs of the community,” she said.
“I really enjoy seeing people have access to opportunities and it feels good to be a little part of changing people’s lives for the better. I’ve seen personally how the programs can make a huge impact on whether people stay in our region or go.
“In fact, I’ve seen the success of many of the programs offered. There was one amazing woman I met who attends the Little Steps Multicultural Playgroup. From there, she started attending our Conversation English classes and after a few classes, she quickly learnt about, and became a participant of, our Get Work Ready program which helped her to prepare for getting a job here in Gladstone.
“But what really made me proud of working for Integreat Queensland is how she grew in her confidence which began to shine through via her newly gained independence and social interactions with others.”
