President of Australian Slovaks' Association in Victoria

Marta Kapusta

President of the Australian Slovaks' Association in Victoria

I was born on December 11, 1951 in Presov, Czechoslovakia. I am married and a mum of two girls, Andrea 27, and Martina 26.

Education:

I completed my High School Certificate in 1970 at Stredná všeobecno vzdelávacia škola in Banská Bystrica. After one year at Pedagogická Fakulta (Teaching College) in Banská Bystrica, I transferred to Bratislava at Vysoká škola ekonomická (now University of Economics) and graduated in 1976 from the Faculty of Commerce: Business Management. During my studies, I worked for 4 years at Slovak Television in Bratislava, in the department for children’s Festival Prix Danube as a Director’s Assistant.

Work Experience:

My work experience in Slovakia consisted of managerial posts in Hotel Srdiecko, Nizke Tatry, Multiservice and Domace Potreby in Banska Bystrica and Zdroj GR in Bratislava. After 6 months at the refugee camp and hostel in Austria, my husband and I arrived in Melbourne on March 1983. 
My Australian work experience includes managerial posts in Radisson Melbourne Hotel and Collins Booksellers. I worked for 6 years as an assistant teacher at Sophia Mundi Rudolf Steiner Waldorf School and for the last three years at Sophia Mundi I worked as an Integration Aid Teacher with a disabled child. This work experience led me to the Department of Human Services – Disability Review Panel, then I worked at Methodists Ladies College Kew, where I worked as a Teacher’s Assistant. Until 2010 I worked as a nanny with different families. I have also been working for the Australian Bureau of Statistics as an Urban Collector for Census 2006 and 2011.

Community involvement:

In 1997 I joined Neighborhood Watch which was defunct due to funding cuts in 2009. I became a member and Treasurer of Australian Slovaks’ Association in Victoria in 2001 for the first time and contributed to Slovak Community activities until 2004 including participation in organizing the Congress of Australian Slovaks in 2003. In 2007 I was reelected as a Secretary until September 2011 when I was elected at the Annual General Meeting to be the President of the Association. I was also involved with the organization of 2008 Congress of Australian Slovaks.

Hobbies and Interests:

I like gardening, cooking, traveling, reading, music and theater, art exhibitions and studying languages. I enjoy community work and involvement. I am passionate about working with children and early age education. The most precious time for me is any time spend with my family and the community where I found my friends and second family.