This month, we welcome Mr Long Nguyen to the SCEA Head Office team – and no one is more relieved than SCEA’s Head of ICT, Mr Wayne Fewster!
After more than a year of having to juggle roles and shuffle job lists to multiple employees, Mr Fewster has found the Purchasing Officer he was looking for: a
committed Christian, an experienced professional and an ICT whiz! Long comes from Vietnamese heritage, with his parents fleeing their home country as refugees just months before Long was born.
The small Indonesian island of Galang became the birthplace for Long, following his parents move to begin a new life. As such, this Indonesian-born, Vietnamese-speaking Australian boy learned to handle new situations and adapt to unusual environments very quickly.
The slew of computer boxes that greeted Long on his first day in the office presented a new challenge for the softly-spoken professional.
“It was obvious that a bit of work had banked up,” says Long in a completely unfazed manner.
Ten years of working at Lake Joondalup Baptist College (LJBC), one of the premier independent schools in Perth’s northern suburbs, has equipped Long
with the perfect temperament for situations such as this: make a strategy and then systematically get through the work in front of you.
Away from the computer keyboard, Long has played key roles in a number of Perth’s prominent churches – following his conversion in his late teenage
years.
“I grew up in a Christian household, and I always attended church in my younger years. It only became real for me when I had my own personal
encounter with Jesus,” says Long.
Five years of service at Sonlife Church in Leederville under Pastor Binh Nguyen saw Long hold the positions of Pastoral intern, Creative Team leader
and Service Co-ordinator. Fellow SCEA employee Mr Jordan Tai (HR & Payroll Officer) also hails from Sonlife Church.
A tap on the shoulder to apply for the position of ICT Purchasing and Asset Officer now sees Long back serving in an educational organisation, rather
than in the church environment, but the goal of both workplaces seems to be very similar – mission within a Christian team.
“This position at SCEA offers me the opportunity to work in a Christian organisation, cultivate excellent relationships with school leaders and staff and
work in a team that shares my values. That’s very exciting,” says Long.
