Finding her balance

Sarah is one of two inaugural recipients of Kids Under Cover’s Sarah Davies Empowering Women Scholarship.

The funds will help her take more time off work as a Disability Support Worker to focus on finishing her psychology degree.

From early on in high school, Sarah was fairly sure about what she wanted to do.

Having had a turbulent upbringing, she was interested in how the experience of trauma as a child contributes to who we become as adults.

“I’ve always been interested in understanding why people behave the way they behave and how the things that happened through a person’s life contribute to that behaviour. The things I’ve had to witness affected me a lot and I’ve experienced how helpful it is to get professional support. So I wanted to be a part of that and help other people. Childhood is such a sensitive time. It kind of shapes us. I think what I’ve had to endure has in some way shaped who I am today.”

More recently, Sarah and her three brothers were close to breaking point. Growing fast in a house that didn’t have the space to accommodate their busy lives. At times, Sarah would stay with friends just to avoid coming home to the tension inside her house.

When Sarah’s brother was offered a Kids Under Cover studio, she saw the change it made to him almost immediately. And the release of stress it provided in her home.

“It helped him reset,” she says. “He’s a very smart kid. He’s very bright. So when I heard he was getting so frustrated and unhappy that he didn’t want to go to Uni, I got really upset.”

“But now that he’s got that space – when he comes into the house in the morning, he seems much happier. More positive. He’s starting his course next semester.”

Sarah has been balancing her studies with work as a Disability Support Worker. She also had to take a year off due to ill health. But she’s now back into the swing and says her scholarship will help her dedicate the time she needs to finish her degree and consider further study options.

“When I heard that I got it I was so excited. I’m hoping to graduate at the end of this year, but because I’m working that’s gotten in the way as well. So knowing I’ve got this extra support I can put more time into study and take more time off work. I don’t think I can go another year of not having finished. I want to get it done and jump into that space.

In the last 6 months or so I just felt like I’ve got a purpose and I’ve got to fulfil it. I got into this and I want to do it. It’s not that I’m studying for the sake of studying. Literally – from the bottom of my heart – this is something that I really want to be able to do.”

Image: Long time Kids Under Cover supporter and advocate, Sarah Davies presents Sarah with her scholarship