Young mum finds purpose

Rebecca Cupitt left high school when she was 15.

‘I hung out with a crowd who thought it was a waste of time and I was easily influenced by my peers.’

At 17 she was pregnant, alone, and at risk of being homeless.

Mallee Accommodation Support Program found Rebecca somewhere to live and referred her to Zoe Support Australia, a Learn Local provider in Mildura. Zoe Support helps young women with parenting and re-engages them in education.

Rebecca did a number of classes at Zoe Support including a sewing class to make and sell items for local markets and a hospitality course.

‘I was very excited at the idea of studying again. But I was worried that since I’d been at school there’d been a lot of changes. I started going to Bridging Literacy and Numeracy at Zoe Support because I needed to catch up, particularly with computers and new technology.’

Rebecca didn’t stop there. She has since completed her Certificate IV in Community Services at TAFE and is now a first year student in a Bachelor in Human Services/Masters of Social Work program at Latrobe University.

‘Returning to study gave me a purpose and I wanted my son to see that maybe I was a young mum but I had taken the opportunity to study and do better for myself. ’

(Source: Adult Learning Australia – edited extracts)