SUCCESS means different things to different people, especially when you’re a teenager.
It might be something as big as getting your first job or as small as being able to ask your teacher a question without choking up, but all achievements are celebrated for students at the Swan Hill College Flexible Learning Options (FLO) campus.
Elijah Moore is 18, about to finish Year 12 at the FLO campus and has been offered a traineeship at a cafe in the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne.
Five years ago, he was on the verge of dropping out of school.
“I wasn’t really doing much work when I was back at the college,” he said.
“I struggled a bit with learning and trying to understand things. It was difficult for me to really learn because of the big groups – too many people, too many distractions.”
Encouraged by older brother Michael, who had attended FLO, he found the supportive environment made a huge difference.
Working in smaller groups and one-on-one with teachers, Mr Moore has become more self-assured, gained a Certificate II in Hospitality and he is ready to become more independent.
“At first I wanted to drop out of school because I didn’t know what to do,” he said. “But since I’ve been here, I’ve gained more confidence in knowing what I want to do; what career I would like to take a path into.”
Mr Moore said he enjoyed cooking and learning how to do new things, but work experience in Melbourne took him right out of his comfort zone – taking orders and serving customers at the National Gallery of Victoria’s cafe.
“I didn’t know anyone there,” he said. “But I felt the confidence that if something’s wrong, I need to ask questions, or if something happens, I could talk to other people or someone who’s in charge. From where I started, to where I am now, I feel like I’ve improved a lot. I have more pathways to choose from.”
Eight years after she finished Year 12, Michelle Lawson is still grateful for the help she received as a student at FLO.
Now living on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, Ms Lawson has spent time travelling, bought a house and is enjoying her work in aged care as a personal care assistant.
“I drive around to clients’ homes, take them shopping and do cleaning and cooking for them,” she said.
“I love it. It’s a really great job and you get to see all over the Sunshine Coast, get paid to help people that need it and enjoy it at the same time, which is nice.”
Ms Lawson keeps in touch with staff at FLO, who shared the highs and lows with her.
“The first year of FLO was really hard,” she said.
“Then the last two years were great. There was a lot more support and more was known. We’d found its flaws and with all the support from the college and the youth groups in Swan Hill, we actually got something rolling that was really nice. There’s an understanding that kids can struggle and learn differently. In my case, they were willing to work out how I learned and taught me that way, rather than straight from the mainstream school curriculum.”
As a 16-year-old living at Nyah West, Ms Lawson was among the first group of FLO students who finished Year 12 in 2014 and moved on to work or further study at TAFE.
She completed her senior VCAL, as well as certificates in Children’s Services, Aged Care and Home and Community Care.
At the time Ms Lawson said she didn’t like primary school and by the time she reached high school was too far behind in spelling, reading and writing to catch up to her peers.
“Because I didn’t like school I never really cared and didn’t do the work,” she said.
“When high school came, it was good in Year 7 because you meet all the new people and make new friends. But in Year 8 and Year 9 everyone starts to turn on each other, so in Year 10 I came to FLO.”
Ms Lawson said the FLO environment was vastly different to school.
She attended classes four days a week, had one day for home study and worked part-time as a domestic cleaner.
“It’s heaps more flexible,” she said.
“We can work at our own pace, and you get the work done. If there’s something you don’t understand you can ask without being judged by others. You can be yourself here. You know everyone.
“Some people think it’s like a drop-in centre, but I’ve worked (really hard) for what I’ve achieved in two years. If I was still at Swan Hill College, I don’t reckon I would have done Year 12.”
