When Dannielle Miller became a teacher, she was given the classes no one else could handle. She was given a whistle on her first day, to call for help. She didn’t need it — in fact, she had something in common with some of her students.

Dannielle Miller is the CEO of Enlighten Education and Director of Education for Women's Community Shelter.

As a young teacher, fresh from university, Dannielle was given a class of vulnerable students no other teacher could handle in a Western Sydney school.

Dannielle took to these students immediately, and found they responded to her with trust and affection.

Dannielle shared a certain understanding with her students —as a child, she saw domestic abuse and gaslighting in her house.

When she was very small, Dannielle was burned in a shocking attack.

The care she received following her burn has stayed with Dannielle and has informed her resilience, which she now uses to shepherd teenage girls and boys through one of life's most challenging times.

This episode of Conversations touches on epic life stories, origin stories, domestic violence, family violence, respectful relationships, teenage girls, teenage boys, teens, adolescence, burns, women's shelters.

To binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Further information

Learn more about Enlighten Education here.

Read about the Walk The Talk respectful relationships program for Women's Community Shelters here