For Laura Prince and her family money was tight growing up. She said she sometimes flew under the radar at school and now is studying to become a teacher to make sure all students are supported through education.
From a young age, before starting school, Ms Prince helped care for her younger sister who was born with a rare complex disability.
"If my younger sister was sick, I would help pack a hospital bag," she said.
"We shared a room and she had a feeding peg as a young child so if it came out when she was asleep, I would notify Mum and Dad."
Medical bills and hospital visits put financial pressure on the family, Ms Prince said.
They were renting and at the whims of rental contracts which meant they often had to move around with minimal notice.
When she was 10 years old, she would offer up her pocket money to help pay for the house, she said.
Ms Prince said some adults have misconceptions about families who are in poverty.
One in six or about 760,000 children in Australia are living in poverty.
Ms Prince said other adults look at her family, with young parents who do not own their own home, who are struggling with increasing medical costs and make assumptions about their life.
Adults who do not know her assume her parents must be "on drugs or must have a drinking problem or smoking problem", she said.
"I feel like a lot of people just assume that's the norm for people who have grown up in childhood poverty, but it's not everybody's normal."
While her early childhood was difficult she said she was very close with her family.
"Because we've been through so much all together ... my family has a very tight bond," she said.
"Which I'm appreciative for," she said.
When Ms Prince's family moved to Canberra from the Mid North Coast she started receiving support from the Smith Family.
She said this helped purchase things like school uniforms, swimming lessons and tutoring support so she did not stand out as much.
In the 2024-25 financial year the charity helped 2100 students in the ACT through the Learning for Life Program and has partnerships with 40 schools.
"We would buy our uniforms at Kmart, you were always just a bit different from the other kids," Ms Prince said.
"I always struggled with maths in school, so the tutoring really helped me get back on track," she said.
Students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds are around 10 times more likely, on average, to need additional help with reading and numeracy, the Smith Family said.
The biggest barrier to participating in the workforce is not completing year 12.
Because Ms Prince was supported by the charity in school, she is also eligible to be a tertiary scholar.
She is studying early childhood and primary education with the hopes of specialising in special education in the future.
Scholarship support at university means she is able to buy the textbooks and equipment she needs while also paying off parts of her tuition debt.
In addition to the scholarship Ms Prince also works in retail and at Daydream Machine running afternoon programs for neurodivergent students.
Ms Prince said she hated school growing up, but working at the Daydream Machine helped her find a passion for working with children.
She said at university she was asked to think of the teacher who made her want to be a teacher.
While she did not have a favourite at school she said she was passionate about making a positive impact on others.
"I don't want any students to ever feel like their feelings aren't valid, like they should feel supported and understood by a trusted adult," she said.
"That's something that I didn't get as a kid, so that's something I want to change as a teacher."
