I’m currently completing my diploma in community services and have begun a youth work role at Myst at the beginning of 2024 assisting with drop ins and breakfast club. Connecting with the Youth is important to me as I grew up in the mountains and understand the need for a safe space for young people.

I am a dedicated, empathetic, passionate young person aiming to connect and empower the community by helping individuals and families reach their goals. As my study comes to an end (in 2024), I am excited to begin my journey within the local communities and gain experience in the community services field.

In my day-to-day life I enjoy spending free time doing creative projects and activities with markers, paint, and collage. I use photography as a way of exercising my love for nature combined with creativity. Growing up in the mountains I have a love for adventure and exploring, I believe in the benefits of exploring free-minded in nature and using this as exercise.

Isis Khalil has qualifications and experience in financial counselling, training and assessment, finance, and teaching across primary, high school and university levels. She speaks Arabic and understands the culture due to her Egyptian heritage. 

Isis describes financial counselling as the most rewarding work of her career. She is passionate about equality and justice and is naturally empathetic.  A very fulfilling aspect of her role in financial counselling is representing her clients, and advocating and negotiating with their creditors to achieve an outcome that both relieves and empowers clients to reclaim control over their finances.

At MYST she endeavors to improve the lives of financially disadvantaged children and young adults by working with families to improve their financial health as well as educate and empower the younger cohort to break inter-generational financial hardship and poverty cycles.  

She has experience working across all age groups, from children to adults, and can vary her approach, method of engagement and content to support the needs of the group she is working to serve.

When she is not working, Isis can often be found with her husband and their friends in a pub somewhere in Sydney listening to live music, or at a theatre watching a play. She loves all the performing arts.

Heath has completed a bachelor’s degree in social sciences (psychology), a diploma of mental health, is a certified trauma professional, and is currently halfway through his masters of social work. Heath has worked with young people most of his working life from before and after school care, to youth support roles.

Heath has joined the MYST team quite recently and works on a part-time basis split between youth work and casework. Heath works within a trauma informed, strength-based and, biopsychosocial framework. One of Heath’s favourite quotes is ‘you are not the problem; the problem is the problem’. Heath’s strongest belief is that any person can achieve their goals and aspirations with the right opportunities and support.

Heath enjoys reading, coffee/tea, playing Xbox, swimming laps, rugby league, and most importantly a good lunch. So, if you ever want to have a chat and a coffee, let me know.

Jodie Rollason is a qualified lawyer, nurse and mother to 3 teenagers. She has a Masters in Commercial Litigation and has recently completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course. Prior to joining MYST, Jodie managed a state-wide community legal service for over 10 years.

Jodie has been part of the MYST team as CEO since January 2022, and is passionate about supporting and helping young people in the Blue Mountains to improve their general and emotional well-being particularly after the recent tragedies of bushfires, floods and COVID.

She loves fine wine and the colour pink. Outside work, she can be found soaking up the sun, spending time with her teenagers, and attending a challenging trivia night.

Joined January 2022

Brigid joined MYST in July 2022. An Economics /Law graduate of Sydney University, she has many years of experience consulting with SMEs including subsidiaries of global multi-nationals and boutique not for profit organisations. She is a keen advocate of simplifying and demystifying the finance process to enable organisations to concentrate on their core mission. When not whipping the books into shape, she runs a production consulting and event hire business with her husband. She enjoys theatre, movies, music and spending time with her extended family.

Flinn is a proud Gumbaynggirr man and father of three, he lives in the Blue Mountains and is an active member of the local community.

 Flinn started his career in community services in Cranbrook Penrith running an Aboriginal mentoring group at the local high school and supported community members of the Cranbrook area in the Nepean Community Neighbourhood Centre. He then moved into Case Management with Platform Youth Services.  Flinn has completed his community service and Counselling Diplomas and is currently working on completing a Bachelor Degree in Counselling whilst enjoying his  role as Manager New Projects at MYST which he commenced in April 2022.

Flinn enjoys creating program learning opportunities for Aboriginal, CALD and LGBTQAI+ youth in the Mountains.

Outside of work he loves motor bike riding both road and trail, spending time with his family and friends bushwalking, swimming, or BBQing or just having a cuppa tea!

Gailene joined Myst in March 2021 during the height of the pandemic, to help MYST increase funding opportunities enabling increased capacity within their core programs and services to improve the outcomes for local young people.

Gailene has over 30 years’ experience in fundraising and the not-for-profit sector. Her past roles included helping to establish Starlight Foundation in Australia and more recently working with Be Centre a Play Therapy Centre for children impacted by trauma. She hopes that she can use her experience and knowledge to help MYST continue to grow and cement its reputation as a leading provider of youth services in the Blue Mountains.

When not in the office Gailene can be found enjoying coffee with friends or reading – she also loves a good craft project especially those that involve pink glitter!

Kate joined the MYST team in 2023, as the manager of Outdoor Explore.

Kate’s skillset combines a Post Graduate Degree of Psychology Advanced with a Diploma in Outdoor Recreation, completed here in the Blue Mountains. Kate has over eight years experience providing services to people in a bush context.

Kate strongly believes that the bush is a great place to adventure, explore our surroundings and ourselves. Kate understands that the meaning of adventure is unique to the individual and is passionate about creating a safe space for people to engage in adventurous, nature-based activities for self-discovery to occur.

Kate has experienced her own personal growth through adventure, in particular rock-climbing. Through rock-climbing, Kate found friendships and community, qualities she liked in herself and a connection to nature, which Kate reports grows stronger every year! Most often than not, you’ll find her searching for orchids. Kate love’s their uniqueness, the challenge of finding rare and uncommon things and their amazing facts. Kate also loves hearing and learning about what others are passionate about.

If Kate is not out in the bush, you might find her playing guitar, reading fantasy/adventure novels or watching the latest series.

Kris has a diploma in Community Services and has completed dozens of short courses that supports the 20 years of experience he has working with children, young people and their families.

Kris joined MYST in July 2021 and is passionate about supporting young people to achieve their goals in life, whatever those may be. Kris finds fulfillment in having supported young people engaged with MYST to gain apprenticeships and traineeships, their driving license and a clearer lens through which to see and interact with the world they find themselves in.

Kris is a big fan of stand-up comedy and believes in using the power of humour to support navigating and understanding life’s challenges.

Paige joined the MYST team as a youth worker in in 2018. She has a certificate IV in Youth Work, is an accredited mental health first aider, Teen mental health first aid facilitator and is currently completing her Bachelor of Youth Work. 

In 2022, Paige was appointed the position of Youth Team and Program Manager position. In addition to leading the Youth Team she is also hands on in running programs and activities such as Drop-In, RAGE, STEPS and breakfast club throughout the mountains. She is also responsible for planning major events such as youth week activities along with other local services to ensure that these fun days bring young people and their families together.

 Paige feels the true reward of being a Youth Worker is supporting young people to reach their goals and see them achieve their best possible outcome despite any challenges they may have faced.

Looking forward, Paige would like to bring more engaging events and programs to the Youth of the Blue Mountains and ensure all young people in the community can access support to help them build skills that they need through the programs she facilitates.

Oh, and who said you can’t eat crackers with Fancy cheese and red frogs! 

Sara Dynes has worked for MYST since 2009 in a number of roles supporting young vulnerable people, and has attended TAFE and Charles Sturt University with degrees in Social Work and Applied Mindfulness.

Sara has always seen MYST as an innovative NGO that supports young people in progressive and creative ways. She hopes to use her years of experience and ever-growing knowledge to continue down the path of MYST’s ever-evolving support. It has been such a pleasure to see the organisation provide some vital support to niche gaps in service delivery and observe over time the impact it has had on the lives of the young people we work with and support.

Though her job means a lot to her, self-care and travel have always been an essential part of Sara’s world, and she’s often setting out on another adventure travelling the world. Though her newest and greatest adventure is having a little baby girl to keep up with!!!