At a recent Information Breakfast at The BUSY School’s Southport Girls+ campus, student leader Kristi Jakovac, presented a speech that summed up her experience and the impact The BUSY School had on her education and career aspirations.
Her words, shared below, resonated with many of the other students in the room and inspired invited attendees who included parents, community and mainstream school representatives.
“Good morning, everyone,
My name is Kristi, and I have the absolute honour of being a student leader here at The BUSY School Southport Girls+ Campus.
To be honest, I never thought I’d be the person giving a speech like this. I never imagined I’d be in Year 12, let alone do it while being a qualified makeup artist and studying for a dual diploma at the beauty academy I used to dream about attending.
Before coming to The BUSY School, I felt like I was slipping through the cracks. Traditional schooling wasn’t working for me, not because I didn’t want to learn, but because I needed something different. I needed a space where I could be seen for who I truly am, where I could learn at my own pace, where I could feel safe, respected and empowered to grow.
And that’s exactly what this school gave me.
It gave me more than just an education, it gave me a second chance. A new beginning. Hope, at a time when the world was trying to make me forget who I am and what I’m capable of.
At BUSY, I’m not just a student, I’m a person. A person with goals, emotions, talents and potential.
The staff here never treated us like we were problems to be fixed, they treated us like individuals to be supported, understood, and empowered. They took the time to learn our stories, to listen without judgment and to guide us with patience and compassion. At The BUSY School, they didn’t expect us to fit into a one-size-fits-all system, they reshaped the system around us.
They created an environment where learning looked different but felt right. Where it was okay to ask for help. Where mental health wasn’t brushed aside, it was acknowledged, respected and made a priority. We weren’t just prepared to pass exams; we were prepared for life. Real world goals, passions, and pathways were encouraged – and personal growth was just as important as academic success.
At BUSY, being ‘different’ isn’t something to hide, it’s something to honour. And for many of us, that shift in perspective changed everything.
I know I speak for so many students when I say that The BUSY School isn’t just a school, it’s a lifeline. It’s a place where students who have been written off by the system can rediscover their worth, rebuild their confidence and redefine success on their own terms. Here, we were seen. Not just as students, but as people. We were taught how to write resumes and our futures.
So, to everyone here today thank you for the work that you do. And if you’re ever wondering whether programs like The BUSY School are truly making a difference, I’m standing here as living proof that they are.
Thank you so much once again.”
Find out more about The BUSY School difference and how it is reshaping young people’s futures.
Kristi gave a heartwarming speech at a recent Information Breakfast at The BUSY School Southport Girls+. The school helped her to re-engage with her education and she is now fulfilling her dream career in the beauty industry.
