Leading the way

And it’s a conversation that young people and their parents aren’t having often enough, according to Year 11 Cobram student Tyreese Toohey.

After recently returning from the Rural Youth Ambassadorship Forum with the Country Education Partnership in Melbourne, the 16-year-old is raising his voice for change.

“There are lots of things that people would consider controversial that people don’t talk about,” Tyreese said.

“If you’ve got a disease or something, you tell people about it, so they understand where you’re coming from. It’s the same thing [with mental health].”

As part of his involvement in the program, Tyreese has been tasked with creating a project, on a subject of his choosing, which he’ll present to government ministers in August.

The subject he has chosen is the state of mental health services for young people in rural areas like Cobram.

After his own diagnosis of various mental health disorders in 2023, it’s a subject close to his heart.

“Mental illness can be deadly. It can cause awful things, and you wouldn’t want that to be happening just under your nose and no-one knows or cares,” he said.

“It’s important that people know that they can have it and still live a normal life.”

The forum, led by the not-for-profit Country Education Partnership, aims to develop young peoples’ leadership skills in public speaking and project management.

Country Education Partnership youth manager Maurice Billi said it was timely for students such as Tyreese to have a direct voice to policymakers.

“Tyreese is a fine young man who we’re really proud to have as part of our program,” Mr Billi said.

“He’s really passionate about making a difference and making a change and having his voice heard.”

But while his diagnosis came as a relief, Tyreese found getting help wasn’t as simple as he first expected.

“The plan was to regularly see a psychologist. The psychologist was based in Shepparton, and my parents didn’t have a car at the time,” he said.

“And [to have to travel] during that time, I wouldn’t have had to have been able to do homework or focus on my schoolwork.”

He considers himself lucky to have eventually gotten the help he needed.

“Really, I’m one of the lucky people because I got the help I need,” he said.

“But I’m sure there’s a lot of people who don’t.”

Now, he’s using the CEP program to challenge stigma and calling for greater support for young peoples’ mental health closer to home.

A lot has changed since his parents’ generation, but he thinks more needs to be done.

“It’s like, you know what’s happening but no-one’s talking about it,” Tyreese said.

“I don’t think [kids] these days are aware enough, but I think they’re more aware than a lot of parents would be.”

His college’s Wellbeing Team will support Tyreese with developing his presentation as August approaches.

Until then, he’s looking forward to what he can do as an ambassador for his peers.

“It’s important to be able to stand up for what you believe in,” he said.

The fulfilment of his long-term goal — to study psychology at university — will make him the first person in his family to finish Year 12 and take up tertiary education.

“My friends and I — we’re going to be the generation that makes things happen,” Tyreese said.

“It’s important to stand up for change, and hopefully, we can fix some of the negative things that are happening in the world.”