Peter Yaacoub

“The doors are always open at Yarra. So many YOGS come back to the school and stay involved.”

When he stands in front of his students at Yarra Valley Grammar, Peter Yaacoub understands the routines and rituals of their daily life at the school.

Peter himself is a former Yarra student who first stepped through the gates in Year 7. After a journey that saw him contemplate careers in tennis coaching and carpentry, he now teaches in the classrooms where he once studied.

“Getting through Year 12 with friends – those are the best memories you will make.” he says.

Peter arrived at Yarra from a relatively small primary school in Templestowe and he initially found the scale of the school overwhelming. But during the first few weeks he began to make new friends.

He was also able to follow his passion – tennis – and by Year 8 he was a key member of the Firsts Tennis team.

“It meant I knew some of the older students who would say hello when we saw each other around school. That was a big deal!” he says.

Because of his love of sport, particularly tennis, Peter studied subjects that steered him towards a degree in sport science but after a year at university, Peter wasn’t sure that it was the best fit for him at that time.

So, he deferred and did some tennis coaching and completed a carpentry pre-apprenticeship. He then returned to uni and completed a Bachelor of Health Science and a Master of Teaching.

“Mum was a teacher and from day one she’d told me to think about it as a career. I got to a point where I thought she might be right. I always knew I’d find my way eventually – early on I didn’t know what that was but I knew I’d find out at some stage.”

Peter enjoys being a teacher at the place where so many teachers encouraged him to build his knowledge and try new experiences – such as learning to play the double bass.

“I want to see how the school continues to grow and develop and I want to be part of that,” he says.

“I want to give back what the school gave me – a great education, great friends and great teachers. I want to be part of that journey moving forward.”