A Western Sydney tradie is celebrating earning his first million dollars by going back to the school where it all began.
David Chahine, 27, was expelled from eight schools before ending up at The Waratah Centre in Telopea, a school that assists in meeting complex educational needs.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Tradie reveals secret to success after earning first million.
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It was at this school, Chahine said his life began to turn around.
“I remember one teacher told me If I continued to behave like this, I’m probably going to end up a garbage cleaner,” he told 7NEWS.
Chachine said he remembered being offered the chance to go on school trip to the snow — if he changed his behaviour in the classroom.
“I was told if you behave for three months you’re going to the snow, and that kept me on track,” he said.
“That was my wildest dream, to go to the snow.”
With the help of his parents and The Waratah Centre, Chachine said he was able to pull himself up by the boot straps and make himself a success.
“The trip to the snow showed me that if you do listen, and you do behave and follow the rules, that life will open up for you,” he said.
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Chachine said he had eventually gone on to shatter his own expectations by starting his own glazing business and had recently earned his first million dollars.
Now he wants to help other kids struggling at school with his message that “just because you don’t excel in the traditional school system doesn’t mean you can’t succeed in life”.
“I’ve been there, I know what these other kids are going through,” he said.
“It was hard growing up, but we got there.”
Reuniting after 10 years, Waratah Centre Principal Greg Fuchs recalled Chachine was “oppositional” when he first arrived at the school.
“He refused in the beginning to do his school work.”
However, Fuchs said stories such as that shared by Chachine taught kids that education, like work, paid off with effort.
“Education is so heavily focused on the academics that they forget about the emotional and social side of things,” he said.
“(Like work) you don’t get paid till the job is complete, so coming to a school like this is teaching you those values.”