Jessielea’s Story

Photograph Courtesy of the Bendigo Advertiser, May 11 2019.

Jessielea is a nonbinary care leaver student studying their Masters of Social Work at La Trobe University.

Jessielea entered foster care at 9, moving in with their permanent carers at age 10. They later moved into supported accommodation at 16.

Jessielea didn’t finish high school but decided to study a Diploma of Community Services at RMIT after being homeless and unemployed for more than a year in their late twenties. Enrolling in the Diploma enabled them to demonstrate their potential for further study, which helped them to gain access to university.

Jessielea studied a Bachelor of Arts at La Trobe University’s Bundoora campus, which they completed in 2017.

Jessielea is currently enrolled in a Master of Social Work at La Trobe. They were previously employed by the Bendigo Council to work on the Inclusive Towns Project, which aims to help local businesses be more inclusive for people with disabilities.