EOFY Appeal: Kayla's Story
Growing up, Kayla* faced challenges no young person should have to endure. Home was unpredictable and unsafe, and school offered little escape.
“When I was young I was surrounded by domestic violence and alcohol.” “When I got to high school I was bullied constantly for my looks and how I behaved. This was the worst stage of my life.”
Living in fear, Kayla learned to shrink herself to survive. She tried to be whatever others needed her to be, losing her sense of self along the way.
“I wasn't my own person, I didn't exist.”
At just 14 years old, Kayla reached a turning point when she attended her first Youth Insearch Weekend Workshop, an experience that would begin to change the course of her life.
“At 14 years old I went on my first [Weekend Workshop] and it changed me for the better.”
Surrounded by peers who empathised through shared lived experience, Kayla slowly began to feel safe enough to be seen and heard.
“It took me about a year to gain the confidence to share my story. I slowly grew more and more comfortable with every [Weekend Workshop] I went to.”
In 2024, Kayla applied for Youth Insearch Leadership Training, an 18‑month intensive program that prepares young people to become Peer Leaders themselves, in order to co‑deliver programs alongside qualified clinicians. For the first time, Kayla could see a future shaped not by her trauma, but by her strength.
“I was able to find myself and who I wanted to be.”
Through Leadership Training, Kayla has found purpose in transforming her adversity into a gift, using her lived experience to help other young people heal.
“I’ve worked with an amazing team and had some great opportunities to better myself.”
Today, Kayla is focused on giving back, determined to be for others what Youth Insearch was for her during her darkest moments.
“In the future, I hope to give people the same chance I got, to give them somewhere they can feel safe.”
*This story is shared in the young person’s own words to preserve authenticity, including original grammar & language. Names, images, and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of the young people featured.
