Our learning support and mentoring programs in 90 Australian communities directly help children in need achieve their goals through education.
View all programs Turning lived experience into community impact
12 July 2023
“For me education was my lifeline to help me stay on track and work towards goals I never thought I could achieve,” remembers former Learning for Life student Prue. Today Prue works as a treasured part of our team, coming full circle on her journey with The Smith Family.
Growing up in a big, culturally rich family with Mauritian heritage, Prue’s childhood was filled with life and character. She and her seven brothers and sisters were very close. But the instability of moving a lot as children meant changing schools and friend groups often.
The family kept a strong foundation of love, with Prue’s mum working hard to support the household. With support from her Learning for Life sponsorship, Prue could access the things she needed to keep her engaged at school. For Prue, art has played a vital role in her education-to-career journey. This began when Prue was only young. "Art was my world during school,” says Prue.
As a creative young person, art supplies, excursions and school camps were important for Prue and enhanced her education.
“Mum always found a way to get us what we needed, regardless of being on welfare as a single parent. My older siblings also played a massive support role, helping Mum to look after the younger ones,” says Prue.
“I asked Mum if she remembered the impact the sponsorship had for me during school and she said, ‘The Smith Family’s support got you where I needed you to be’. This was a powerful reminder of how much sponsorship helped my mum to support me in school as a single mother.”
Sponsorship helped Prue explore her passions and stay engaged at school, paving the way for Prue to pursue her love for art and to enrol in design at university. With her Learning for Life sponsorship, Prue bought a laptop which allowed her to access the sophisticated design programs needed for her degree.
“I am the only person in my family to finish secondary school and continue to tertiary education. I also acknowledge that there were various reasons why my other siblings chose different paths. One being the cost involved to stay in school.”
Through her sponsorship, Prue participated in our Tertiary Mentoring Program. She was matched with a trained volunteer mentor who helped her transition from tertiary education to graduate employment. “The mentoring program was a great experience. I was able to connect with an adult in the creative industry with an established business. I remember picking my mentor’s brains about how he established his business and what type of work he produced for his clients."
After a family tragedy, her heart lead her towards a new career passion – working with young people living with disadvantage. “One of the biggest challenges I have experienced was the tragic loss of two of my brothers nine months apart when I was 21 years old.
“Even after these tragedies occurred, I still found my way. I decided to channel my lived experience into supporting vulnerable young people and communities in my career. I want to create a large-scale impact.”
Prue counts resilience as one of her top strengths. She says that despite what she’s been through, she has an internal drive and positive energy to keep pushing herself to grow.
She takes this energy and attitude into her work at The Smith Family – creating that large-scale impact is on the cards for Prue.
Prue reminds us all, “As someone who is a former Learning for Life student and current staff member at The Smith Family, I can honestly say that your support really does help to make a difference. Education was my lifeline to work towards my goals – your support is helping other students achieve this too.”
