THE graduation ceremony at Ipswich Civic Centre for University of Southern Queensland students last week saw two local high school pupils stand tall as the valedictorians of their respective cohorts.
Amy Freer from Bellbird Park and Ipswich’s Jay Stevens were honoured on the day when they were both asked to deliver a speech on their success and what attending the university meant to them.
Amy excelled in completing her nursing degree, while Jay achieved a Bachelor of Science (Psychology) with distinction.
While Amy had never been on centre stage at the Ipswich Civic Centre Jay had been there five years before.
On that occasion he was showing off his performance skills as an accomplished tap dancer.
His valedictorian speech last week reflected on not just his university journey, but also his life as a struggling teenager.
It was fitting he titled his speech ‘rising above the challenges’.
“I was excited to share my message of endurance, persistence and staying true to what you value as a person,” he said.
“I often downplay what I’ve overcome to get where I am and how hard I’ve worked to get the achievements I’ve received.
Walking onto the stage was a full-circle moment for the Ipswich-raised student, who has battled anxiety and depression most of his life, particularly in his teenage years when he found it “impossible” to attend high school.
“I had always been a sensitive kid, but it wasn’t until I was around 16 that my mental health began to decline,” he said.
“I dropped out of school before Year 10 and took a much-needed break from the pressure I was putting on myself to succeed.”
One of the biggest challenges for Jay was getting access to mental health support.
“At some places, I was too young, while at others, the waiting lists were so long,” he said.
“When you’re in a bad place with mental health, the hardest thing is knowing you’ll need to wait another six months before you can receive the help you need; you struggle to imagine yourself getting through the day, let alone what the future could hold.”
Determined to use his personal experience with mental health to help others Jay decided to tap into a career in psychology.
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