As an educator of 28 years,  Leisa Hanson has worked across all three school systems in Western Australia, including rural and urban schools and from Kindergarten to tertiary institutions. Leisa has a passion for education and has worked hard to support the very best life outcomes and choices of the young people she has taught. 

For many years her primary teaching focus was to work with students struggling with literacy, but over the last six years that focus has turned to supporting SEN students in a mainstream context and helping them navigate their education whilst building their social and emotional skills towards independence and success as adults in society.

The program that Leisa created and built over two schools is a holistic program catering to academic and social/emotional development through a range of individualised supports. One of which has led her to work on her Doctorate to add to the growing research in this area.

Leisa believes linking students from their school environment into their local community and ensuring clear pathways and opportunities is an extremely important part of life outcomes. She is currently an Associate Principal at Byford Secondary College and her goal is to work at a system level to create programs that support the long-term outcomes of these young people to allow them to have the life they deserve.