Soa has had to over-come adversity from a young age, experiencing physical abuse as a child and working through how the abuse affected him. Soa had an enormous impact on the whole audience with his story of courage and survival as a young child and then later as an adult making decisions about how he would choose to live his life.
After the formalities students engaged in wide range of community health and well-being activities and stalls. The music students where enthralled when Soa joined them on stage as the drummer, delighting the crowd with their performances together.
Soa Palelei is an inspirational speaker with a powerful message for adolescents.
Soa gave his all in presenting his life story to the community of Meekatharra. His “take every opportunity” and “hit the road running” approach to life, that saw him reach the pinnacle of his chosen profession, shines through in his desire to see positive outcomes in today’s youth. Whilst in Meekatharra nothing was too much for him and he made every effort to be involved in as many activities and engage as many people as possible. Soa is a true gentleman with an unsurpassed passion to make a difference. As a representative for my local Shire and an active role model and Youth officer in my community, I would not hesitate in endorsing Soa speaking to youth groups and or adult groups alike.
Soa was both inspirational and authentic. He told our students of his story from being a small boy suffering domestic violence to achieving his dream of being a UCF fighter in a manner that engaged all participates. The students were mesmerised as he sparked a very healthy conversation about overcoming obstacles in life and acknowledging character strengths.
Since his visit students have remembered his message and referred to it when discussing their own obstacles and remembering to practice their own resilience.
I would highly recommend Soa as a guest speaker to other schools as his delivery, presence and message were relevant and inspirational.
Soa provided a very candid and sincere talk on having to overcome extreme child abuse, both mental and physical and moving through it all becoming a successful mixed martial fighter, who even made it to the UFC twice.
After the formalities students engaged in wide range of community health and well-being activities and stalls. The music students where enthralled when Soa joined them on stage as the drummer, delighting the crowd with their performances together.
Soa Palelei is an inspirational speaker with a powerful message for adolescents.
The story and the delivery in which Soa spoke was inspirational and provided students with an insight in to the life of Soa and his struggles with Mental health, depression, anxiety, suicide prevention and many more social issues facing students in todays world.
Soa was approachable before and after the talk and he also took time out of his break to pull aside two young indigenous boys who have been truanting and involved in drug related issues to provide guidance and an ear to listen. To see Soa engage with these students before hand, then to have these students sit quietly for 45 minutes and soak in everything he had to say during his speech, was by far one of the greatest achievements we could have made with these young boys.
On behalf of the Year 9 & 10 students and community of Swan View Senior High School I would like to thank you for volunteering your time to come and speak to us. This group of students are at a critical point in their lives, and lack positive role models. It was an invaluable experience to have Soa come and speak to them, to take on the role of educator and extend his powerful and pertinent message to this often vulnerable cohort. Soa’s presentation was the most well received of all the guest speakers we have had and our community, staff and students are still talking about it. It was an honour for us to be able to host you both and the effect on the students will be long lasting. Thank you so very much again.