BSSC Year 12 student, Ella Lockwood, has found senior a diverse and inclusive college.
She says students soon discover there’s a place—and a group—for everyone. She also describes the college as “abstract” in the sense that BSSC welcomes people from so many different parts of our community—and even the world.
“Yet we all get along so well! It’s something that has nurtured my own social development and maturity.
“A culture like this means there’s always someone you can talk to—and I don’t mean only the fantastic Wellbeing Team—our teachers and our friendship groups here are so important too.”
Ella has observed an inclusiveness in the way teachers’ passion and enthusiasm comes through.
“They are happy to explain or describe something in different ways to make sure everyone ‘gets it’,” she says, “and this makes BSSC a great place to learn.
“I also feel free to express my views and perspectives and I’ve noticed I’m doing much better academically across all subjects.”
Unsurprisingly, Ella “absolutely” recommends the college.
When she sits down to study, Ella likes to listen to instrumental or classical music and prefers to work on something until it’s done.
She often uses ‘blurting’—writing down everything she can remember about a topic—to test her recall.
Catching up with her friends—in and outside of school—and having a good laugh is a great de-stressor for Ella and working part-time helps her keep a life-school balance.
Ella also has a sideline business upcycling and recycling clothes though online platforms—Depop and Instagram—and she’s selling across Australia. Again, she enjoys how this contrasts with her studies.
Always a keen Maths student, Ella made the decision at the end of Year 11 to move to a more Humanities-based course, replacing Maths with Legal Studies.
She quickly discovered that, though she was highly motivated to do well in the subject, not taking Legal in Year 11 left her feeling the class was like a collision with a foreign language.
Prue is Ella’s Legal Studies teacher and Ella describes her as, “the very best help”.
“She offered to give me extra tutoring to catch up once she realised how much I was struggling—and she translated all that legal jargon so I could understand what everyone was talking about.”
This support has been immensely appreciated, and Ella says Legal is now one of her favourite subjects and has helped settle her future pathway.
She interested in studying a double degree in Psychology and Criminology at RMIT or Deakin University, with plans to become a social worker or a youth advocate.
Unsurprisingly, Psychology is also a favourite.
While Ella has high praise for all her BSSC teachers, she says Elley Marshall is the most inspiring teacher she has ever had.
This links back to a time when Ella—then a student at Crusoe College where Elley was teaching—was seriously unwell.
She remembers Elley as a kind teacher, but also as a source of solid support when the world was literally falling apart.
“And now she’s my Psychology teacher here at BSSC. It’s wonderful.”
What was not wonderful were the two years when Ella was seriously ill with anorexia.
While there are many things about that traumatic time she just doesn’t remember, Ella describes anorexia as, “an insidious lie—like a voice in my head that fully took over my perception of life”.
“Anorexia probably began for me when I developed this idea that if I were a certain body-shape I would be happy.”
She has made a remarkable and complete recovery, which she describes as both a slow burn towards change and included a prime turning point.
That turning point occurred while she was being transferred to ICU in the middle of the night when her heart was impacted by her condition.
“I could not move or see what was going on around me, but I heard my mum calling from down the hallway, ‘what’s going to happen to my daughter’?
“That remark made me realise that if I didn’t vow to recover then and there, I wouldn’t be around to share my story.
“I’m very grateful to my mum, other family, and my friends, who gave me so much love and support even when I was pushing everyone away because I refused to accept I had a life-threatening illness.”
While Ella admits it can be difficult to stay with step-by-step recovery processes, she insists it’s doable.
“I have recovered from the highest mortality mental illness and am living proof that disorders, like anorexia, can be overcome.
“I’m so proud of how well I am.”
Ella feels this is even more remarkable in a culture where not only do some popular activities such as dance and sport put pressure on young people to be a particular shape, some of what’s on social media “is just horrible”, she says.
“I have taken my terrifying experiences and transformed them by realising that the empathy and insight I’ve gained can be used to help others.
“When I’m older, I want to be able to look back and be happy with who I am—to be happy in myself.
“Looking back, I’d tell my twelve-year-old self: “Don’t take negative comments so seriously. Only pay attention to stuff that serves you.”
