Meet former Learning for Life student, now corporate partner, Shannon Hyde

The CEO of Simply Energy Shannon Hyde grew up knowing what it was like to go without.

Compounding family challenges, including periods spent living in poverty, impacted Shannon’s ability to fully participate at school.

“As much as possible, I tried to hide the challenges that we lived through. Certainly, teachers would have been aware. I had holes in my shoes and my bag was never in a good state. I never had textbooks, those sorts of things.”

Shannon and his siblings were supported by The Smith Family which he says made it possible for them all to get to Year 12. “Given where we were tracking that is some achievement and it's something we're quite proud of given the circumstances,” he says.

Instead of hiding his background and experience of disadvantage, Shannon instead uses it to inform his leadership at Simply Energy, where he mentors students we support in the paid Cadetship to Career internship program.

“I've come from a background, and I've been down a path in life where I can see what that challenge looks like. I'm personally committed to helping other people who may have been in similar circumstances but also have that drive and ambition to succeed.”

“It is really about equalising those chances and resources and experiences and this is such a practical way to do it and it's great that we can do that together,” he says.