Our learning support and mentoring programs in 90 Australian communities directly help children in need achieve their goals through education.
View all programs Today Amelia has the world at her feet thanks to you
01 September 2023
Amelia had a happy childhood but money was always tight. “I grew up in public housing in regional Victoria with my single mum and twin sister,” she says. “I was very aware of the financial situation my family was in.”
Amelia’s mother was kept very busy working to support the family. They all knew money was tight, and Amelia would often remind her mum when bills needed paying.
The money worries took a heavy toll on Amelia, at a time when most children get to be carefree. School was the one place the anxiety went away, where Amelia felt free to be a child. “School was a distraction and one of the only stable things in my life,” she says. “It was amazing to learn so many things.”
It’s no surprise that in Year 3, Amelia accepted a “very exciting” opportunity to join The Smith Family’s learning programs. It was only possible thanks to incredible supporters like you.
Programs like student2student were thrilling. Amelia’s reading buddy opened her mind to books she’d never heard of before. “It was really fun, I got very excited about using a phone to read with my buddy, because we didn’t even have a computer at home,” Amelia says.
“student2student really helped me develop my reading skills. I could then advance through the reading levels at school.”
As Amelia studied hard in Year 12, with big plans for university, support from her Learning Club tutor – made possible by your generous gifts – helped boost her marks.
“I found it incredibly beneficial,” she says. “I was studying biology – having medicine students as tutors was pretty handy!
“It was great that my tutors could explain things in different ways. I got to meet students from other schools and collaborate with them! It was an environment where we could study, learn and be social at the same time!”
I grew up in public housing in regional Victoria with my single mum and twin sister. I was very aware of the financial situation my family was in.
Now 22, Amelia is in her third year of a law and global studies degree. Her world has expanded as she now lives away from her family and supports herself financially.
Amelia’s world has grown even wider. Last year she travelled overseas for the first time – on a student exchange to Germany for uni. A little girl from a small town who worried about the bills is now a woman of the world, being rewarded for her determination. “There is so much to learn and understand. I’m loving it.”
Read more student and family stories in our Spring 2023 edition of Real People, Real Stories
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