Dave Stergo is singing his way to success thanks to WISE Employment

Dave joined WISE Employment in 2008 and couldn’t be more supportive of their mission. Dave, who has depression and anxiety, explains that WISE Employment played a significant role in helping him manage his mental health, and allowed him to take control of his dream of becoming a musician.

Dave explains that his life before WISE Employment was dark, lonely and disconnected, “I found myself in a hole and I couldn’t see a way out. I didn’t have enough direction towards obtaining good mental health. I was lost within my role and felt like I wasn’t meant to be there.”

Adamant to improve his mental state, he found support and guidance through WISE Employment. He was matched with a support worker through PHaMs (Personal Helpers and Mentors service), and explains that was it was nice to have someone on his side.

Dave, who is currently studying disability and has a Certificate III in Individual Support, couldn’t be more appreciative of the work WISE does. He believes that society has a long way to go in terms of facing disability.

“There are a lot of questions around disability and employment. In my experience employers don’t always want to adapt and change to employ someone who is disabled. There’s still a long way to go in educating employers,” said Dave.

Dave is extremely grateful for WISE Employment and hopes that he can also help and educate people through his music. He explained that the PHaMs program helped him build the confidence to pursue music again, which he had left behind due to his mental health.

“In 2016 I was on The X Factor, something I never thought I’d do! My wife and Vadim (PHaMs support worker) were very encouraging of me doing this, and the experience gave me the confidence to start my own music business.”

“The songs I write about are based on my own experiences – my mental health journey and the people around me. I hope these songs can help or impact people going through something similar,” Dave said.

Dave looks forward to the future and seeing what WISE Employment achieves over the next 25 years.

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