Marcelle’s Story

Marcelle grew up in regional Victoria where for most of her time in primary school she enjoyed learning and got good grades. As a child she wanted to be a disability support worker.  

Things got a bit rocky for Marcelle at age 11 when she was placed into Kinship Care. She became distracted at school and disengaged from her learning.  By the time she made it to high school, Marcelle was couch surfing and her attendance was down.  Personal challenges and lack of support at home affected her schooling and ability to stay engaged.    

Eventually Marcelle was placed with a foster care family who supported her.  This made a positive difference at school.  Some teachers helped Marcelle re-engage and succeed as a learner, by checking on how she was going and offering her opportunities to grow and see her own worth as an individual and as a student.  

“As teachers and support workers, I think it’s important to be really empathetic. You don’t know what people are going through, but you can try to understand. Be consistent with young people in care. Don’t just give up because they’ve reacted in a particular way. Keep encouraging to get them to learn and foster the things that create a fire in their bellies.” 

Marcelle graduated high school in 2019 and last year started her post-secondary education journey by completing her first year of a combined Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Arts at La Trobe University, majoring in Gender, Sexuality and Diversity.