Hi my name is Rucia Elu. I am a Saibai Koedal man from Seisia in Cape York. Apart from moving away for school a few times in Brisbane, I grew up in Seisia and Thursday Island in the Torres Strait. 

There are a lot of beautiful things about life in Cape York and in the Torres Strait. You are surrounded by family and friends you knew since childhood, you get the best of both land and sea life, and even though a lot of things have changed in the world around us, children still live like we used to in the 90s or early 2000s. 

When I describe home to people from down south, they always say it sounds like a dream or you don’t have to worry about a thing if you live up there, which is true. I grew up in my comfort zone all my life, and stepping out of it was never really an option, I felt like there was no need too. But one day I hit a dead end, and it wasn’t until that moment I realised how unprepared I was. 

When you grow up, everything changes, especially as a young man. You face challenges that really test you and even though I thought I did, I never actually knew how to deal with them or approach these challenges, it was just trial and error for a long time. I soon realised there was a lot about myself I still had to discover and a lot of struggles I was not prepared for. 

It took a lot of self- reflection, and self-criticism. I had to take full responsibility and accountability for who I am as a person and who I believe I am. I finally understood and realised there was a cycle that needed to be broken. And it took a lot of mistakes in my life that I never saw coming. Mistakes that made me question what type of man I am, or whether I even knew myself anymore. 

One day, I almost went to jail. I had already been sentenced to 18 months in prison. I remember looking over to my lawyer while listening to my sentencing. I put my hands up to see if I could speak for myself in court, and I said to the judge that I know who I really am, my mum did not raise that man on paper, that my mistakes does not define the type of person I am, and even though I had failed myself so many times in my life, I never stopped trying. The judge, she looked into my eyes and she understood me. If I had not spoken up and put my heart and my mind on display, I would have still been behind bars today.

Instead, I walked out a free man that very day. After that day, I applied for university and got accepted into the University of Canberra to do a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. I was one of about 15 other First Nations people out of the whole country who was successful for the Australian Indigenous Apprenticeship Program, and I made the move to Canberra.

Now I’m working, and I am currently attending night classes at university. In about four years I will be graduating from university and I will be able to give back to people, especially young men, and help as much as I can. I understand how hard it can be, but if you asked me five years ago or during high school if I ever wanted to go to uni I would have joked about it. 

I was never the brightest student in primary and high school, I still feel that way today at uni. I think it's normal to have doubts, but I think what's most important is what we do after having that doubt, and I will always believe in myself, but so should you. 

The more you believe in yourself the more powerful you become. I think you can never really know where life will take you, but you can take the first step in that direction. As long as you never stop believing in yourself, have a little faith, and never stop trying. If I can, honestly anyone can.