Youth worker to make a mark
Ryianna Koteka wants to make a difference in a young person's life.
The 30-year-old youth worker was unsure of her ambitions as a teenager and worked in a drycleaner and studied hairdressing before finding her calling.
"I got to the point where I needed to do something that was not only challenging but also meaningful," Ms Koteka said.
She studied for a diploma of community services at West Coast Institute from 2012 to last year before getting a job at Perth's Drug and Alcohol Youth Services.
"At the time I started studying I was a single mother and I wanted to be more influential for my son and work hard," Ms Koteka said.
"I felt like I wasn't meeting my potential. I always wanted to do something with youth because I had a colourful youth.
"It took one person to believe in me to change my ways and I thought I could be that person for someone else."
Ms Koteka said she would never forget a conversation with a youth liaison officer in high school. "Being an adolescent there are so many pressures on you - having someone to help is great," she said.
Her story is an example of the career paths on display at this year's Skills West Expo, which runs from September 18-20 at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre.
