“At other schools, this just wouldn’t be possible. But here, I don’t have to choose between school and my son. I can receive a lot of help through support workers and access flexibility.
Alana exudes wisdom well beyond her 18 years.
She’s a diligent and committed student who always goes above and beyond in the classroom. She’s our recently elected Year 12 School Captain, winning the respect and trust of peers and teachers alike. And she’s taking on her education with gusto WHILE being a loving mother to her 18-month old boy. Can you say superwoman?!
We’ve been blown away by Alana’s dedication to her goals and growth, but she does admit that it hasn’t always been this way. While she was interested in learning, she felt the mainstream school environment didn’t cater to her needs in a holistic way.
“I never thought I’d make it to Year 12. I always planned to drop out in Year 10 and I struggled in class because I wasn’t getting the attention I needed. It felt like they couldn’t really assist with other things that were going on in my life. My headspace wasn’t too good. I found out about NG Central and it was the perfect fit for me.”
NG Central’s small class sizes and one-on-one tuition suited Alana completely and since coming to us in 2015, she is one of our top performing students. She notes that the teachers really care about her as a whole person and that support has been invaluable to reaching her academic goals.
“It feels so comfortable here, like one big family. The teachers make every subject interesting and there’s always something to look forward to in class. It feels like content that we can actually use in real life. They really do care about your welfare, always asking if you’re alright and taking your personal situation into account so they can help in the best way possible."
This has only become more essential to Alana’s success since she’s become a mum. Tackling a toddler going through the ‘terrible twos’ is a challenge for anyone, but balancing her school and parenting responsibilities is important to Alana, so that she can get a great job and raise her son with pride.
“At other schools, this just wouldn’t be possible. But here, I don’t have to choose between school and my son. I can receive a lot of help through support workers and access flexibility.
At school, Alana can explore her diverse interests and skills both in and outside of the classroom. She is currently working towards her HSC, as well as a Certificate II in Horticulture. Alana has been an active participant in extra-curricular programs such as Standing Strong. Standing Strong is a NGC-run program for young women which tackles self-defence, having healthy, respectful relationships, looking after your physical and sexual health, budgeting and life-skills.
And of course, her school captaincy has been the perfect opportunity to exercise positive leadership skills and represent herself to her peers through campaigning and public speaking. Always seeking new challenges, Alana is even taking her civic participation to new heights with a summer holiday volunteer position with Central Coast Animal Care.
When asked where she sees herself after school, this young woman has a crystal clear vision.
“I want to be a psychologist. In my life, I’ve been through a lot and I think it’s given me the skills to understand other people and their perspectives. I’ve also worked with counsellors before, and it always makes a big difference knowing that they have had similar lived experiences. So, I think it would be amazing to study psychology and help other people in my position. My plan is to do a bridging course with TAFE after I graduate so that I can qualify for the University of Newcastle."
Comments