Trainee Creating Change Backstage

TELL US YOUR STORY

Alumni Simone Martin’s journey has come full circle at Mater Christi College, where she went from a student to a Performing Arts Trainee, leaving a lasting impact.
Shortlisted for AFL SportsReady’s Trainee of the Year 2025, Simone completed her traineeship in December 2024 and continues to reflect proudly on the experience that shaped her professionally and personally.

For me, if I’m spending my time on something, I may as well do it as well as I can. I enjoy helping others and if I saw a task that needed doing, I’d just do it.

That proactive mindset was felt across the entire Arts Department. From assisting in the Textiles classroom to taking the lead in backstage logistics, choreography and administration for the school’s Chicago: Teen Edition production, Simone featured in numerous roles.

I was actually involved in the school production when I was in Year 12 and helped with choreography back then too. Becoming a trainee just made it a more formal role. It was such a highlight. Seeing the students grow from the start of the process to the final performance was incredibly rewarding.

Simone helped bring the student vision to life. By developing choreography, organising rehearsals, managing administration and ensuring everything backstage ran smoothly.

Production week was such a positive environment. It was amazing seeing how a bunch of awkward choreography turned into something powerful that really told a story. Being support for the students can be challenging, but also so rewarding.

Her contributions extended beyond the stage. Simone started reorganising the drama and storage rooms, creating systems to help staff and students long after her traineeship ended. She also seized opportunities outside her core role, such as leading a science activity during a STEM event that catered to students from Year 7 to 12.

Even though your role has specific expectations, there’s so much opportunity for you to branch out and do more.

If I hadn’t taken as many opportunities as I did, I wouldn’t have got as much out of my traineeship.

Simone credits her supervisor for being a consistent source of support throughout the year, especially in the early days.

I needed a lot of help in Term 1, but by Term 2, 3 and 4, I was a lot more confident.

Her traineeship not only provided her with hands-on experience in the arts, but it also opened her eyes to the world of teaching.

I wasn’t aware of all the behind-the-scenes work that teachers do. All the compliance and admin. It gave me a whole new appreciation for what goes into the role. It was inspiring to see how much teachers put in for their students.

It’s actually made me consider teaching as a possible path.

Today, Simone continues to lend a hand with choreography at her old school’s productions, while also teaching science to younger students in a new role, something she never would have imagined without her traineeship experience. She’s also studying Actuarial Science at university while working part-time.

The traineeship helped me discover new strengths, try different things and find confidence in myself. To anyone starting out, take every opportunity you get.

You never know where it might lead!

Mater Christi College is a long-time partner with AFL SportsReady/ ArtsReady. Together we’ve been shaping the futures of Trainees and making a lasting impact.

We have applied the successful AFL SportsReady model to the arts, cultural and creative industries.

ArtsReady is delivered by AFL SportsReady, a not-for-profit organisation specialising in education and employment for over 29 years. The national program prepares participants to graduate as job-ready.