Finding my confidence and calling at ET Australia

I often say that ET Australia didn’t just change my education; it changed the entire direction of my life. Before I found ET, school was something I survived rather than enjoyed. I’d attended two other high schools – one public, one private – and in both environments, I struggled mentally, emotionally and academically. At my first school, I was bullied by multiple groups of students, and despite how serious it became, I didn’t feel supported or protected. It reached the point where it simply wasn’t safe for me anymore. Although my older brother went to the same school and loved it, it wasn’t the right place for me. 

My private school experience wasn’t much better. I lost my nan in 2020, and the grief absolutely broke me. When I tried to return on half days, I still felt overwhelmed, unsupported and disconnected. By the start of Year 10, I was on the edge of dropping out completely. I couldn’t see a future for myself in school. 

Around that time, I was diagnosed with ADHD and autism, and my psychologist suggested ET Australia Secondary College. My parents agreed. They knew I loved learning – I’ve always been academically driven – but I needed an environment that actually supported the way I learned. I told myself I’d give school one last chance. If ET didn’t work, I’d leave and work full-time. 

‘Walking into ET for the first time felt like the first moment in years that someone actually saw me – not just a student, but as a person.’ 

I still remember the tour with my parents. We walked past Kim’s English class and the students were standing on desks, acting out a scene from Hamilton or Shakespeare. All I knew was that none of my past teachers would ever have allowed anything like that. For me, that was the first sign that ET was completely different – in a good way. 

On my first day, I was so anxious that I made my mum come with me, but within an hour, I felt more welcomed than I had at any school before. The teachers spoke to me, not at me. The students were kind, welcoming and open. It felt safe. 

What helped most was the way teachers personalised learning. I had always struggled with English –the lack of clear right or wrong made it feel impossible for me. But my teachers reframed it like a maths equation because they’d taken the time to understand how I think. That changed everything. I got my first B in English and realised I wasn’t bad at the subject at all. I just needed someone to teach it in a way that made sense to me. My maths teacher, Graham, also supported my preference to sit outside the classroom to work. He checked in when needed, but otherwise trusted me to learn in the way that suited me best. 

‘ET didn’t try to fit me into a system. They shaped the learning around who I was, how I thought and what I needed to thrive.’ 

Emotionally, ET became the support network I didn’t know I needed. During Years 11 and 12, my mum became very sick, and I took on a much bigger role at home. The teachers trusted me to keep my phone on during class so I could be contacted. Their trust meant everything. 

One day during maths, I received a message from Mum on my laptop and completely broke down. Another student quietly went to get my best friend and the teacher’s assistant, who both came outside to sit with me. That moment taught me it was okay to ask for help – something I’d never believed before. 

Academically, ET pushed me to reach my personal best. For two years, I was certain I wanted to be a forensic psychologist. Then, just two weeks before the HSC, everything changed. I realised I wanted to become a nurse and eventually a paramedic. Instead of questioning my sudden change of direction, Elle and the pathways team immediately helped me research degrees and entry pathways. They backed me without hesitation. 

I’ve now graduated with a Bachelor of Nursing from Western Sydney University. I’m about to begin my graduate year as a Registered Nurse, and after that, I’ll return to university to complete postgraduate studies in paramedicine – the dream career I never thought possible at 16. 

‘Everything I’ve achieved – getting into uni, becoming a nurse, believing in myself again – started at ET.’ 

If I could give advice to any student who feels lost, overwhelmed or unsupported at school, it would be simple: move to ET; just do it. It was the best decision I ever made. At ET, you’re not a number or a problem to manage – you’re an individual with potential. They treat you the way every young person deserves to be treated: with understanding, respect and unwavering support. 

Because of ET, I didn’t drop out. I found my confidence and calling. And now, I’m building the kind of future I always wanted but never thought was possible.