Liam Morkham

"Yarra shows you the possibilities and builds your potential”

When Liam Morkham joined Yarra in Year 7 much of the school, and some of the teachers, were already familiar.

“My Dad went to Yarra so I’d been here a few times and I’d done some performances at Yarra with my primary school. The landscape was familiar,” he says.

Liam’s earliest impressions of the School are the expansive grounds and the fun he had on his first Yarra school camp.

“The Year 7 building was at the other end of the school so there was a sense among Year 7s that we were in this together. And the first camp was a great opportunity to get to know each other. I hold on to some of those friendships to this day,” says Liam.

During his years at Yarra, Liam also gained insight into the kind of career he wanted to follow. He studied IT, Software Development and Interactive Digital Media, Drama and was an accomplished communicator. 

“I followed subjects that were my passion and that I wanted to study. If you follow what you love then you wake up each morning and go to school and feel passionate about what you are about to learn,” he says.

After graduating from Yarra, Liam studied Communications at RMIT and joined engineering firm, GHD, in the Engagement, Communication and Communities team.

He has since worked on major engineering projects, like Melbourne’s North East Link Project and the extensive level crossing removal project being rolled out across Melbourne.

“My role is about engaging with communities digitally, ensuring groups of people can participate in the process and that we take on board their issues and feedback. People are often passionate about something they think is changing or being taken away and when you recognise that and show compassion, you can often find common ground,” says Liam.

One of Liam’s clearest memories of Yarra is the passion and commitment of teachers.

“I had many fantastic teachers – they really wanted to make a difference and I knew I was in good hands. The landscape of Yarra was about connecting people and forging friendships.”

Liam is still keen to learn and expand his skills while finding a balance between work and his social life. He plays guitar, acts and sings in his spare time.

“We all have different choices in life and we have to take accountability for the choices we make. I hope things in my life don’t change too much – I feel I have balance and I’m happy.”