In June 2024, John went on his first overseas journey with a group of 5 other Travengers travellers and 2 Support Guides. The trip ended up being impactful for John. Read on to hear about his experience.
Mitch, can you tell us a bit about your interests? What do you enjoy doing?
I enjoy socialising, playing games and going out places. I like watching movies – mainly fantasy, and tv shows – mainly animation.
What have you been doing since finishing high school, and why?
I have been working at a place called Jigsaw, which is a digitisation company. I have been learning how to work in a team and an actual workplace. I have been doing this work at Jigsaw because I want to get a paid job soon. I’m also really keen to work in the film/screen/media industry so I’ve completed a TAFE course in Screen & Media, and I did a short course with Outside the Box which got me into acting and being on set.
How did you land a spot on The Assembly?
I am doing this program called Bus Stop Films, and I also subscribe to the employment part of the company called Bus Stop Employment. Through them I saw and applied for the show, which has now become the Assembly. I was really excited for the job – especially when I got the offer earlier than I was expecting to!
What was your experience being part of the show?
I learned all about how to do journalism, and I had a lot of fun.
Are there any particular moments that stand out to you?
Probably the stand-out moments were getting to interview a few really nice celebrities, and making
some friends. My favourite parts were walking on the Legos with Hamish, and asking Sam Neil about
his accent when he worked on Peaky Blinders.
You’ve been with us for a few years now. How have Travengers been a part of your journey?
Travengers have been so helpful for me – they have helped me be more independent while travelling. I’ve also made some great friendships through Travengers – some of those friends even came to my 21 st birthday party last year! I like the social outings but especially love the trips away, as I am a very social person and like to explore the world.
What are some of your aspirations for the future?
I would really like to work in the film industry and maybe be an actor or a voice actor one day. My 5 year plan is to work hard, including at my upcoming ABC internship, and hopefully progress with learning how to be in the film industry. I am keen to get lots of different experience in the film industry – I would love to be on set, but I don’t think I would be great on camera, sound or lighting. I think I would be great either as an actor, a voice actor, a runner, a caterer, or a scriptwriter. Eventually I would like to work towards being a Director if I get enough experience!
You can watch ABC’s “The Assembly” episode featuring Matt here.