“Volunteering in Australia adds a lot of value not only to your life but also to your resume”

Antonella Russo

Country of Origin: Argentina

Year of arrival to Australia: 2017

Occupation: Mentor Coach, People Connector and Relationship Builder.

State of Residency: Queensland

Favourite place in Australia: Gold Coast

Biggest surprise when arriving to Australia: Walking in the opposite direction

Photo credits: Diverse Gold Coast by Andro Engelbrecht

Edited by Zoe Gleeson & Cristina Ponce. Socials by Juan Camilo.

Anto Russo is well known as a Latino Community Leader who creates groups and opportunities for people to connect, belong and feel safe. She lives on the Gold coast and works for the community. “Soy porque somos” (there is no me, without you) is one of her core beliefs and she lives this sentiment on a daily basis as a community organiser, mother of two and mentor. Anto has been recognised with two awards, one as a Volunteer and the other one in her job as a Tutor.

TELL US YOUR STORY

I was born on Christmas Eve, in 1986 in Argentina. I had a beautiful childhood in between Buenos Aires and Mendoza. I worked in a bank for 11 years, the last period in the financial inclusion area, working as a Microfinance Analyst with vulnerable populations. During those years, I promised myself to buy a house and to travel to different countries once a year. I was lucky enough to achieve both. And I also got my Bachelor of Public Relations Degree and I certified as an Ontological Coach (Accredited Lifestyle Coach).

In 2016, I travelled to Australia for a holiday. After a fun road trip from Sydney to Gold Coast (GC), I met a Brazilian entrepreneur who was living on Queensland for a while, and we fell in love. We had a long-distance relationship with some trips in between, until 6 years ago when I moved to Gold Coast. The first time I came to Australia, I hold a holiday visa that also allowed me to study for 3 months. So, I asked for a non-paid leave in my job back in Argentina, and I took a semi intensive English course. At the end of it, I was able to take the IELTS test so I could apply for the Work and Holiday Visa. Because the relationship was new, I wanted to have my own visa, to feel independent and have a plan B.

During my stay, I tried to find jobs that allowed me not only to earn money but also, to understand the Australian culture, improve English and use some of the skills I already had. My first job was in a Baby Sitting’ Agency. I loved working with kids, because it gave me the opportunity to know the Australian culture from the inside. At the same time and because by that time I was already a Lifestyle Coach, I got a job for a tutoring company, as an Academic Personal Trainer supporting primary school students. I also had the experience to work as a Mystery Shopper evaluating a diverse range of shops, products and services. That job pushed me to go to different stores and talk with people even if I didn’t feel very confident with my English at the time.

Antonella with her son Julian and her daughter Jasmine. Mother’s Day 2023, Picture by Meme Tuohy from @lalunaphotoandvideo.

Because I wanted to feel part of the community and also meet new people, as soon as I arrived in Australia, I joined a multicultural organisation as a volunteer. That experience taught me a lot as a person, added a lot of value to my resume, and gave me a good network. It was also good to see how a company works in Australia. After some years it gave me the opportunity to work as a professional in my field and do what I love the most: helping people to achieve their goals. Before having my second baby, I worked for the organisation as an Employment Facilitator, helping migrants from different backgrounds and visas to believe in themselves and to find better job opportunities. During all these years, in addition to growth as a professional, I started a beautiful and multicultural family. I have two kids. Julian is already 4 and he speaks fluently Spanish, Portuguese and English. My baby girl Jasmine is about to turn 1. Both my partner and I speak the other’s language. However, despite gaining Australian Citizenship this year, I will always be proud to be Argentinian☺

I am currently involved with the following groups:

HOLA KIDS GOLD COAST | During 2021, with a group of Latino mums, we created Hola Kids, a non-profit organisation that promotes the use of Spanish language through cultural sessions. We organise fortnightly meetings where kids from bilingual families, can learn Spanish while having fun.

Abuelos Latinos GC: I created a group of latin grandparents who are on the GC visiting their families for some time. As they don’t speak English and don’t have many friends, we organise meetings to socialise, and to provide them with information on community services, free English classes and workshops for Seniors.

EXPAT LADIES GOLD COAST | As one of the Ambassador of Expat Ladies, an international group, I organise monthly meetings for Spanish-speaking women, who are living on the GC, to create a sense of sisterhood, belonging and networking.

CHALLENGES

Language - This was the main challenge during the first few months. Even if I studied English my entire life, if an Australian person talked to me out of the blue, I couldn’t understand a word. It took me a few months to adjust to their way of speaking. Even nowadays, sometimes I don’t get what they are saying, and I need to ask them if they would please say it again.

Being away from my family - I never imagined myself living abroad. The first 3 years raising a child, with Covid on the way, was super hard for me. Being far from my mum and dad, not knowing the next time we could hug each other, was a huge challenge.

Job - I loved my job and lifestyle in Argentina. I was very involved in the community, so I had the fear of not being able to work in something meaningful. Volunteering allowed me to discover many possibilities here and also gave me the confidence I needed at the beginning of my Aussie journey.

CONTRASTS AND SIMMILARITIES

Volunteering - In Australia, it adds a lot of value not only to your life, but also to your resume. It is considered a job that can give you lots of experience, awards, and also references. In other countries, being a volunteer is also good, but it is not considered as serious as it is in Australia; in particular, when you are looking for a job.

Greetings - Australian people greet and smile to everyone in the street, even if you don’t know each other. People smile and look into your eyes, and they say “G-day, mate”, “morning”, “hey”. I found that amazing, and so different to Argentina for example, where people try to avoid eye contact and if you try to look to someone you don’t know, most of the time, they just ignore you.

Values - Two values that I really appreciate about the Australian society, is the respect for the authority and the security (social and economic). We are missing that in Argentina.

Koren Hannah (Australia), Antonella and Marie Diex (France), Central Gold Coast Volunteer Awards 2021, in recognition of outstanding community service, by Angie Bell MP, Federal Member of Moncrieff.

PIECE OF ADVICE

Clear goals - Ask yourself: What is your main goal to come here? Do you want to learn English for some time? Or are you planning to move to this country? If you know “what” you are after, you will find the pathway much easily. If you plan is to move here, I will recommend you to chat/talk with residents and people who already faced the processes. Once you are here, have a chat with an immigration lawyer/agency. They can give you advice and explain the options you have to apply for permanent visas.

Listen and learn - Australia is a country that will allow you to shine, if you want to. Pay attention and try to find out what do people need more of. What products or services can make people feel better. What the different sectors need (for example: aged care/ migrants). It might take you some time to find that out, and gain some job experience, but it is worth it. Listen to people, speak without fear but always with respect, learn from others. Think about all your past experiences and connect those skills with new possibilities here. At the end of the day, all the dots are connected.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help - If things get complicated, remember the reason why you decided to come here. Embrace your past and all the achievements you already accomplished. If you are here, it is because you are brave enough. Even if at the beginning doesn’t make sense, you will be able to use all your knowledge and experience in different ways. Try to connect with people who is experiencing the same challenges as you, but also people with years of experience in the place you live. We need to be able to share the same experiences but also learn from others who already overcame those difficulties.

Family Picture, July 2022. Picture by Gime Viale @gimevialephoto

IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS…

Anto is currently studying Biodecoding, an alternative therapy that helps people heal by decoding physical, emotional and mental symptoms and resoles their underlying bio-emotional and ancestral cause at a cellular level. Anto plans to get back into the workforce by the end of this year. In the meantime, she is organising regular meetings for Expat Ladies and Abuelos Latinos, facilitating groups of conversations and collaborating with other latin organisations.
In the next 5 years, Anto sees herself working part time as a facilitator for a multicultural organisation, having 1:1 support coaching sessions and organising spiritual community events. In the next 10 years, she hopes to run a safe and inclusive space for migrants, where they can learn and expand theirselves while living the Australian dream.

If you got inspired like us and want to know more about her, go here:

Instagram @antorusso_community

LinkedIN > Antonrusso

Facebook > AntoGRusso

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With love and gratitude - Latin Stories Australia team