JORJA Lomas is preparing for a future that looks much brighter than the one she envisaged just two years ago.
The Maitland Grossmann High student, 18, has received an early entry offer through the Schools Recommendation Scheme to study her "dream degree", a Bachelor of Psychological Science at the University of Newcastle.
"It was such a relief, I almost teared up," she said of receiving the news.
"I ran into my Mum's room to tell her and woke her up and I rang my Pop, he was so excited to know."
Jorja hadn't always seen herself gaining entry to university, or even finishing high school.
She said she had a strained relationship with her father, who she hasn't seen or spoken with for seven years.
"I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do, I was just very lost," she said.
"There was a big fight between Mum and I about staying in school or dropping out and if I dropped out I needed a full time job. It was messy."
She said she began to see life in a new light when the school's now relieving principal Neil Fara started teaching her history in year 10.
"I wasn't really motivated to do year 10 or continue through year 12," she said.
"He saw potential in me so he pushed pushed pushed me to do well," she said.
"When he shared some of his life stories with me I was motivated more to continue and do something with myself rather than dropping out and doing nothing... I just wanted to prove I could do something and be someone.
"I'm extremely proud of myself because I know how difficult it was to get here and be able to do it. It feels amazing."
Jorja said she owed a "massive thank you" to all of her teachers, especially her Society and Culture teacher, Sam Coburn.
"She really really had an impact on me, she always pushed me to do my best and she would get in contact with Mum and tell her how good I was doing - that meant a lot," she said. "She was the best."
Jorja will be the first person in her family to attend university, which her mother Shandell said was "brilliant" and "wonderful".
"She's come a long way, the past is not great but she's just been an absolute rock and role model for her brother and sister of how you can change your life," Ms Lomas said.
"Jorja really knuckled down and she smashed it. I'm proud beyond words of her and so humbled. She's got good things coming to her and she deserves it."
Jorja said she "felt good" to set a new standard.
"I don't really have the words, it's a really good feeling especially my little siblings and my cousins and family all look up to [university] now, that's the expectation now, which is great."
Principal Mr Fara said about 45 per cent of the school's 101 year 12 students had received early offers and some had received several. Glaiza Perez received seven, including six related to engineering.
"Essentially we're taking advantage of the gaps in the university market because the overseas students still haven't returned in large numbers to Australian universities, so there's an economic hole there that students are really well situated to take advantage of," Mr Fara said.
"I just think never before have so many people equitably been able to access higher education or trades and employment opportunities. It's the best it's been in 30 or 40 years and I think students are well situated to take advantage of it."
He said some students previously "went missing from the education or higher education system" after challenges that led to lack of self belief, "but that doesn't happen anymore" because there were more pathways to success.
"What it does is give low SES families a real opportunity to engage with it might be higher education, or the workforce, like they've never been able to before. Some of these kids, it's the first time anyone in their family has been beyond the HSC and I think that's wonderful.
"Some of these students getting in who would normally be excluded are industrious, hard working and resilient individuals, particularly from the low SES backgrounds, so they're actually primed to succeed at university, they can handle failure and setbacks and move on from it so we're pretty proud of them."
Mr Fara said another 15 per cent were waiting for the main round, around 30 per cent were planning to start full time work and there was also a "growing trend" of gap years, including among some students who had been working for several years.
Some had deferred university study and some will apply for 2024.
"It's unbelievable how well they've set themselves up for their future, so it's not unusual to see a student with $20,000 to travel the world," he said.
"You've also got more and more students whose income is part of the economic fabric of the families'."
He said trades were also becoming "increasingly popular", as were traineeships.
He said students in this generation weren't as sure about what they wanted to commit themselves to for the long term.
"They've got the wisdom and the patience and the support to back off for a year or two, some of them will enter a retail position that they're happy in while they consider where they want their life journey to go, so there's no longer a rush," he said.
"No matter who you are or where you're from, you work closely with a school, there's nowhere you can't go anymore."
Jorja celebrated her success by getting a puppy and is going on a cruise next week.
She is planning to get a second job and has "butterflies" but is ready for the next chapter, with the early offer a weight off her shoulders.
"It feels good because I'm not having to rely on a mark like I'm used to," she said.
"I've got my dream course, so it feels pretty good, like I've achieved something. I've always been interested in criminology and how the minds of people work."
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