Origin Energy

Growing up in a single parent household and living in public housing, Origin employee Mark Bernhardt felt that volunteering with the Beacon Foundation’s My Road online mentoring program was where he could make the most difference.

“If you told me when I left school in year 10 that I’d have a degree under my belt and be in a senior leadership position, I would never have believed you,’’ Mark says.

Mark is now a senior HSE business partner with Origin’s LPG business at Minto. Origin funds a philanthropic foundation to support education programs as well as its employee volunteering program, Give Time.

One of the foundation’s community partners is the Beacon Foundation and its My Road program matches volunteer mentors with disadvantaged students to teach them about potential career paths and the world of work.

Mark said: “It’s a really good feeling to know that you are potentially making a difference to a kid that may otherwise not have the opportunity to speak to someone about a future career.’’

Beacon’s online delivery manager Lisa Matthews said: “Mark has never let us down … At times, Mark has volunteered to mentor in multiple MyRoad sessions back-to-back, knowing we are in need.’’

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