General News
6 April, 2026
Nakeya’s personal connection to school’s Turkish exchange
NAKEYA Mountjoy was a student at East Loddon P12 College when the school first visited Turkey in 2015.
Just over a decade later, Nakeya is back at the school a teacher of Years 5 and 6 and will reconnect with friends who were teachers and students on her second visit.
Nakeya said those friendships had remained strong. She describes the Turkish culture as “the friendliest I have ever experienced”.
East Loddon has a sister school arrangement with a Turkish school located in Canakkale, located just across the Dardanelles from the Gallipoli Peninsula.
The first exchange visit saw Nakeya and other students in Turkey for the centenary commemoration of the landing of Australian and New Zealand troops at Gallipoli on April 25, 1915.
While they were unable to be at Gallipoli for the official service - the ticketed commemoration was at capacity - the special commemoration organised by their Turkish hosts left a lasting impression on Nakeya.
“I’ve stayed in touch with the teachers and students from when I was there,” she said,
East Loddon students again travelled to Turkey in 2018 and the college hosted our Turkish friends in 2014 and 2016.
In 2023, the country was rocked by a devastating earthquake and students raised money to assist with recovery.
Turkey’s consul-general later visited the school and thanked students for their support. The school community was praised for its special bond with Turkey and its people.