Studio program helps launch medical career: Jesse’s story

Jesse had always been driven and dedicated to his studies, with a strong interest in mathematics, biology, chemistry and languages. At fifteen, he decided a career in medicine was the perfect way to combine these passions and contribute to his community.  

But growing up with foster parents in a hectic family of eight, Jesse often struggled to find the space and quiet he needed to focus on his studies.  

Should he leave home to escape from the stress of fighting, even if it meant sleeping on couches and risking homelessness? Or, should he remain at home, even if his mental health and future dreams were paying the price? 

As he approached the final years of high school, finding space and quiet time to study became increasingly difficult. With nowhere to escape from overcrowding, his dream of becoming a doctor became harder to chase.  

He was also aging out of care at the time, and the foster family would have been unlikely to support him further financially. 

Without intervention, Jesse could easily have joined the 7,628 children and young people who are homeless on any given night in Victoria, through no fault of their own. 

His incredible potential and ambitions to help others could have been lost to the cycle of youth homelessness. 

“Most young people at risk of homelessness find themselves in this position by chance, and by factors out of their control,” Jesse says, reflecting on his journey. “Very few wish to concern themselves with how they will attain food and shelter. Most want to be working on their passions, their studies, and their lives.” 

That’s where our Kids Under Cover Studio can provide a vital turning point for young people, taking the unfair pressures of survival and safety away, and allowing young people to focus on their education. 

Jesse received a studio when he was 18, just before his year 12 exams. From the moment he stepped into his own space, his life and outlook on his future drastically changed. When tensions in the house rose, he was able to retreat into the sanctuary of his studio and focus on studying.  

“I was relieved that I had a permanent desk without needing to use kitchen tables, that I was free of distractions,” Jesse says. “Because of the studio, I had the option to study into the night without having lights on and keeping others awake in my room.” 

With the extra space and distance to decompress, Jesse’s family relationships also improved, and he grew closer than ever with his younger siblings. 

With the support of Kids Under Cover education scholarships, Jesse was able to move out of home to study medicine at the University of Melbourne. During this time, he also received a scholarship to study abroad in Prague, shadowing a range of medical professionals and learning from international approaches to patient care.  

His former studio remains in the foster carer’s backyard and is now supporting another young person—demonstrating how our studios continue to create lasting impact and increase foster care capacity.  

Today, after seven years of dedicated work and study, and persevering despite the challenges he faced, Jesse is now working in his dream profession as a doctor.  

The experiences he had through his scholarships and his own life experiences have cemented his passion for caring for others, and paying forward the support he has received.  

“I’m only 13 weeks into work as a doctor, but so far, it’s incredible. Every day presents a new opportunity to challenge myself and learn something new,” Jesse says. “As doctors, we have a particularly privileged role as we meet people as strangers, but often receive highly personal information about patients. I feel proud to contribute to my patients’ care.” 

Jesse is living proof of the incredible impact early intervention has on the lives of young people. When we stop youth homelessness before it starts, young people grasp every opportunity they are given with both hands. We are always astounded by the tenacity and drive our young people show in not only pursuing their future, but also in giving back to the world. 

However, without the support of government funding and our community, we are limited in how many more young people we can help. This past year, we’ve received 678 requests for studios – but we only have funding for 15 more.  

That’s why we’ve created Target450, to ask for the government support we need to house 450 more young people in our programs.  

Will you help us make sure lack of funding doesn’t limit young people’s dreams? Will you help us create more stories like Jesse’s, to show that we can stop youth homelessness before it starts? 

Become a Target450 advocate today, or donate to help us go beyond 450 and house even more young people. 

Together, we can stop youth homelessness before it starts, and be a turning point for young people with unlimited potential.