Maribyrnong councillor and Maidstone resident Mohamed Semra might’ve been named the 2025 Young Victorian of the Year at a Victoria Day Council ceremony earlier this month, but he’s quick to point out that the award is far from his alone.
“I understand while it has my name on it there’s should be a lot more names on it because it takes a village to raise a child,” said Cr Semra of the award, which is given to individuals aged 16–30 who’ve made a significant contribution to the state.
Born in Sudan and arriving in Australia as a refugee in the early 2000s, the village that helped raise a young Cr Semra was Braybrook and organisations such as the Les Twentyman Foundation that helped steer him away from trouble and towards forming his own foundation, Endeavour Youth Australia.
The 26-year-old said his foundation had helped 10,000 students across 100 schools in Victoria in the past three years and the award was as much theirs as his.
“This award reflects not just my efforts but also the resilience, strength, and hope of the thousands of young people I’ve worked with over the years,” he said, adding that like being elected a Maribyrnong councillor last year, the award was simply an opportunity to help even more disadvantaged youth.
“It allows for a greater platform for the things I’ve been advocating for and I’m passionate about such as youth leadership, anti-racism and culturally responsive practice.”
