If you are looking for inspiration to start the New Year, you’ve found it in 17-year-old Ella Jay Scott!
The Waitara High School student has shown a maturity, determination, and resilience beyond her years to build a life full of success and possibility, in stark contrast to a disrupted and difficult childhood.
She’s done this with the support of the Tui Ora Youth Services Team after she found herself homeless and penniless aged just 16.
“I do look back over the past year or so and think that things could have gone in a very different direction,” she says. “But thanks to my brother (Jared) and sister-in-law (Kaydee) and Suzy Williams and Maraea Katene-Rawiri (Tui Ora youth service workers), I am in a good place and actually really happy.”
She is succeeding in education, having already achieved her NCEA Level 1 with Merit and is on track to do the same with her Level 2, although she is keeping her fingers crossed for an excellence grade. Ella has also been awarded a ‘First Foundation’ scholarship which contributes $24,000 over four years to her university fees, and provides mentorship and relevant work experience, providing access to a full wrap-around support team in her studies. On top of this, Ella has also been selected to be a prefect this year at Waitara High School.
These achievements are admirable for any young person, but for one that attended 12 primary schools, three high schools, and was faced with homelessness, it’s downright astonishing.
“Ella embodies the whakataukī ‘He manawa piharau’ which refers to the determination and endurance of the piharau to swim upriver against great odds,” says Maraea. “Ella has had to mahi harder than most, and despite all her challenges, she keeps moving forward with focus.
“As a youth worker, removing barriers so young people like Ella can thrive is powerful, and it is an absolute privilege to watch them achieve their successes, even if our role is a slight blip in their story.”
Ella was made homeless when her stepmother refused to let her return home after she stayed with her brother for a few days. With nowhere else to go, she feared she would have to leave school and get a job to support herself.
“Jared and Kaydee said I could stay with them, but they couldn’t afford to support me financially as well. Then my counsellor suggested I reach out to Tui Ora and it was such a relief when they explained how they could help me claim support and I wouldn’t have to leave school.
“I was so happy about that because I had really settled in well at Waitara High, although to start with I was a bit worried about going there because I heard some not great things about it.
“I’m taking as many classes as I can because I love to learn things.”
Ella wants to be an actor in the future, and it seems her talents in the performing arts have already been recognised.
“My Drama teacher told me that he wanted me to direct the school drama production – I had to pick out a play and allocate the parts. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to perform it, but I’m thinking we might try again next year.”
One of the conditions of receiving government support is the need to attend a budgeting course, which Ella really enjoyed as it gave her the opportunity to make friends. The Youth Services team were also able to provide her with a laptop and a monitor after discovering she was having to do her homework in her breaks at school or on her phone in the evenings.
“Ella is a lot bubblier and more relaxed now,” says Kaydee. “She had to grow up too fast because of things outside her control, but now she’s getting the chance to be the teenager she was supposed to be.”
A teenager with a dream for the future, thanks to her own self-determination and support from the Tui Ora Youth Services team.