From 10 Schools to a Bachelor’s Degree: Ruby’s Path to Success and Advocacy
With experience in kinship care, foster care, and residential care since the age of nine, Ruby’s journey has been anything but ordinary. Despite attending 10 different schools along the way, she’s now on the brink of graduating with a Bachelor of Communication, majoring in journalism. Ruby’s advocacy started with a desire to create change for her two younger siblings, both living in out-of-home care. That passion has since grown into a broader mission to help others and break the stigma surrounding young people in care.
Growing up in a regional town in Northeast Victoria, Ruby made the bold move to Ballarat and later Melbourne to give herself a fresh start. It wasn’t until the end of 2023 that she was diagnosed with ADHD, a discovery that brought clarity to a lifetime of feeling like something more was at play beyond her care experience. Now, Ruby uses her voice to inspire and support others with similar experiences.
Oh, she’s a hot sauce enthusiast—so much so that she’s even tried it on chocolate cake! We sat down with Ruby and asked her some questions about her experience with stigma in out-of-home care:
"Don’t be afraid to fight for what you want to do in life, live a life that allows you to thrive not just survive. Your voice is powerful, never forget that."
Tell us about your Advocacy Journey?
I first started my advocacy journey when I was involved in the Commission of Children and Young People In Our Own Word enquiry in 2018. I have been a youth advocate for around seven years now and have learnt that my voice and experiences are a powerful thing that can help create change and inspire others.
Over the years what I advocate for has grown and now includes Out-of-Home Care, Homelessness, Mental Health and Disability. I continue to do work with the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare as well as working on CCYP Youth Council and System 2 Youth Advisory Board. In 2022 and 2023 I was nominated for the Saward Dawson Community Service and Social Impact Award as a part of the 7News Young Achiever Award.
Since 2022 I have been volunteering on the Y Victorian Youth Parliament program, supporting and mentoring young aspiring journalists on the Youth Press Gallery program to gain hands on experience reporting on Bills created by Youth Parliamentarians.
What’s been your experience with ‘stigma’ in out-of-home care?
In year 10 I dropped out of mainstream school because of learning difficulties and bullying. After deciding I needed to graduate for myself, I enrolled to attend VCAL GOTAFE, but around the time I started at VCAL I became homeless. I was staying in a motel at seventeen years old not sure what I was going to do. I was then told by DHS that I needed to find a place soon or I’d be sent interstate into a new residential care home. I refused as my life was in Victoria and I was going back to school, only to be told my education didn’t matter because I dropped out of mainstream school. Hearing this absolutely crushed me because I started to believe that maybe it was true.
How did you overcome the Stigma?
I never gave up, I found what worked for me regarding my learning style and did the best I could to graduate from VCAL. But I didn’t finish there I decided I wanted to also go to university, which is something I’ve always wanted to do. Now I’m weeks away from completing my bachelor’s degree proving to not only myself but everyone else that my education does matter.
What do you think should be done to address the Stigma that young people can face?
Everyone is different and it doesn’t matter if they have a care experience or not. Treating someone different just because of their difference experiences in wrong. However more awareness needs to be given around OOHC and what is means to the young person. This could be running workshops in schools and organisations in order to create more understanding.
It’s important to listen to the young person on not only how they are feeling but what they want. Communication is key and giving young people the right tools to succeed if what is going to make the most difference.
“Your experiences and feelings are so valid and if people are going to treat you differently because of something you could never control then that’s not your fault. Life will get better, it might not be today or tomorrow or next week but your future is so bright and it is yours no one else’s.”
