Meet Bianca; Year 12 Student Spotlight

There’s something extra special about the bonds we form with those students who are at NGC for the long haul. Bianca is a prime example! She started in the first few weeks of Year 9 in 2022 and over the next few years, we have watched her grow into a tremendous young woman and a role model for her peers.

However, Bianca didn’t have these kinds of connections at her previous mainstream school as a young teenager. Feeling lost in a shuffle of so many students, she struggled to engage in many classes and her attendance plummeted as a result. She also found the social environment difficult to navigate, describing many incidences of bullying happening around her.

Bianca ultimately knew she wasn’t going to stick with the mainstream system beyond Stage 4. She already had the perfect road-map in doing things differently, thanks to her elder sister, Teleesha, who was an existing NGC student and has since graduated in 2023. This meant Bianca and her family felt confident in making the transition to our school and it didn’t take long for her to feel right at home. 

“At my previous school, I just didn’t have a good experience. There were a lot of bullies around and people weren’t happy because of that. I couldn’t even tell you much about the teachers there because honestly, I stopped going to class much. I was wagging a lot and wasn’t able to keep up.

NGC is so different and that is pretty much down to the teachers. If you’re struggling in class, they sit with you individually and go through it with you. Sometimes when you get something explained in a different way, it just clicks. I never enjoyed Maths or Science before I came here, but now I realise I actually really like it because it makes sense now.”

Bianca has made significant improvements across all key learning areas, which she attributes to the small class setting and the ability to access one-on-one support with our teachers and aides. Over the years, her attendance has stayed consistently excellent and she’s become a strong role model for younger students around giving everything a go.

Beyond the classroom support, it’s the extracurricular and wellbeing-focused programs that Bianca has enjoyed most. Whether it’s heading outdoors, trying equine therapy or getting creative, there have been plenty of opportunities to learn new skills and grow her confidence.

As a proud Aboriginal woman, cultural education has also been an important part of Bianca’s NGC journey. She has participated in weekly classes with our Cultural Education teacher, Mick, which have covered plant medicine and bush tuckers, artefact-making, yarning and Dreaming stories, and traditional dancing.

“I’ve been able to do some really cool things over the years here. I loved working with the horses through equine therapy and anything to do with the outdoors. We spend a lot of time going out in the bush exploring or doing sport, which is great.

I found out about my Aboriginal identity not long before I came to NGC and I’ve learned a lot since then, especially about Dreaming stories and native plants that are used for bush tucker and medicine. Mick has this way of telling you about a plant that gets stuck in your head so you really remember it. I also loved doing the Mod Pod program where we made a podcast from scratch with Peppa - I just love her!”

NGC’s focus on vocational education and training has given Bianca opportunities to master a variety of hands-on trade skills. For Stage 6, she has selected Retail as her VET subject and will graduate NGC with a Certificate III in Retail.

But when she thinks about her career aspirations post-school, Bianca already has a different path in mind. After seeing her primary caregiver - her nan - have two strokes in a single night several years ago, she needed to step up and support her on the road to recovery. This experience also showed Bianca the incredible contributions that aged care workers make for the older generation and their regular home visits have inspired her to pursue a Certificate III in Aged Care at TAFE after she graduates.

Now that she’s getting closer to that particular milestone, Bianca is reflecting a lot on what she’ll miss about NGC and the relationships that have made her experience special. 

“It’s an odd feeling to think about leaving NGC at the end of Year 12, it’s been my life for the past few years and it’s just my normal now. It has been super easy to make friends here - everyone just gets along and if there are any issues, it is resolved super quick.

And the same is true for the teachers. I respect them and I never give them backchat because they’re so understanding, nice and human just like us. It feels like we’re on the same level and if you ask for help, they’re always going to be there to help. It’ll be sad to graduate because I’ll miss them all a lot.I would encourage anyone who is struggling in mainstream to think about NGC. It never hurts to try and give it a go. It’s a big change but you 100% find your feet.”