A journey of personal growth

Amelia Hunt knew very little about the child protection system until she found herself in it. At the age of 16, two weeks before starting at a new school in Bendigo with a huge year of study in front of her, she and her twin sister Julia were taken into out-of-home care.

“We went into this average everyday meeting and it was like, ‘I’m sorry, but you can’t go home’,” says Amelia, who along with her sister stayed with two families over a six-month period. 

Thrust into an unnerving situation that was out of her control, Amelia found solace in study. 

“I can remember thinking, ‘It’s VCE and I’ve already got a hectic year planned … this is a lot’,” she recalls. “Study became a welcome distraction, where I was able to be like, ‘Okay, I’ve just really got to stay focused on school’.”

Through her childhood and early teens, Amelia had always kept one thing at the back of her mind: she would work hard, get into university, and move away. While she didn’t have a clear idea of what she would study or where she would go, she ultimately saw it as her “only way out”. 

In 2020, Amelia received a helping hand when she and her sister were selected as Youthrive Victoria Scholars. The scholarship allowed her to embark on a double degree in Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Global Studies at ACU’s Melbourne Campus. 

“It was life-changing,” says Amelia, who moved to Melbourne in late 2020. “Without that scholarship, I wouldn’t have been able to move, or at least to focus on uni as much as I’ve been able to. It’s been such a big help.” 

A process of learning

Half a dozen years later, and in the final stages of her degree, Amelia is in awe of the things she has learned. 

“It’s been really cool going through this degree while also figuring out what I’m passionate about, working in the community and seeing the different ways you can help and be involved,” she says. 

“I’ve also been surprised at how I’ve been able to take the things I’ve learned at uni into my everyday life. Being able to use new knowledge and new skills to see things on different levels has been amazing.”

And the learning process hasn’t all been on home soil. 

As part of her degree, Amelia took an overseas semester in Germany, studying law at the prestigious University of Mannheim after a stint of backpacking in the UK. She says that ACU’s study abroad and exchange program was one of the main things that attracted her to the degree.  

Amelia and her sister Julia.

“I’m the kind of person who likes to do new things, but sometimes I need a bit of a push,” says Amelia, who was the only ACU student on exchange in Mannheim in late 2022.  

“Being on the other side of the world by myself, I met so many people and learned so many things … studying, learning the language and doing some travelling, too. It was such a great experience.” 

Fighting for change

Back at home in Melbourne, Amelia has been doing her bit to shine a light on the issues facing vulnerable youth. 

Through the ABC’s Heywire Competition, she was given the opportunity to share her experiences of out-of-home care, with a hope that telling her story could “make a difference for all children and young people, especially those that have been in care like me”. 

“It’s been really amazing to see that even though my experience wasn’t so pleasant, I can channel it to create positive change,” says Amelia, who recently met the Prime Minister at the Heywire Regional Youth Summit in Canberra.

In the same year that Amelia started law school, she was invited to join the Youth Council at the Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP), an independent statutory body that works to improve policies and practices impacting young people. 

Working alongside others who’ve encountered out-of-home care has given her the sense that her lived experience, as well as her legal skills, put her in a position to advocate for change. 

In recent years, through her work with the CCYP, she has worked hard to highlight the importance of including children and young people in decision-making. 

“There are so many things that we can improve on, but I think they key element is listening to the people who have lived it and who are living it right now,” says Amelia, who is now employed by the Commission as a part-time project officer.

“We need to hear the voices of young people, and also just anyone who has been impacted by something… it’s crucial that their voices are included in the decision-making process.” 

As for the future, Amelia wants to continue to be an advocate on the issues she is passionate about: young people, human rights, environmental law, and community work, to name a few. She says that the Thomas More Law School’s focus on producing law graduates who “stand up for people in need, and for issues that matter” has inspired her to make a difference. 

“One of the things I’ve really loved about ACU is that it’s really aligned with my values – the social justice element and that constant highlighting of the importance of giving back to your community,” Amelia says.  

“It’s always been something I’ve seen myself doing later in life, but having that reminder through the degree, seeing things through that lens, it’s made me see that I can do it right now. I can work on the things that I think are important – and that’s what I intend to do.”

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