Japan exchange a close dream

By Kath Gannaway
A TWO-WEEK visit to Japan as a Year 10 student was the start of a career goal for Millgrove student Rochelle Mackenzie.
Rochelle, 18, wants to teach Japanese and an opportunity to do a year’s exchange at a high school in Japan is very much the key to achieving that goal.
It’s a career pathway that has so far had its ups and downs.
Rochelle did Year 11 and 12 at Upper Yarra Secondary College, the last year as a student living out of home.
Finishing Year 12 was a major achievement but she says it was not easy. “The Centrelink living away from home allowance barely covered rent, let alone food and other bills, so it was hard to save anything,” she said.
She was disappointed to find her results were not enough to get her into the teaching course she was aiming for, but said she was determined to find a way.
When the opportunity came up for a student exchange through FACE Oceania, and she was given a part-scholarship, Rochelle said she grabbed the opportunity as a way of realising her dream.
Discovering that she was ineligible for continued student support from Centrelink was another hurdle, and one she says she is still struggling to overcome.
“I won the scholarship which left me with $1600 to pay on the exchange fee and Upper Yarra Rotary Club were wonderful in helping me with that,” Rochelle said.
Wandin Rotary also came to the party with a $1000 grant towards her living costs.
Rochelle works part-time and has run some fund-raisers but with just a month before she is to fly out, she says she is running out of time to raise around $3,500 to cover her living expenses.
“I want to do this to further my education and especially to build up my Japanese language skills so I can go on to teaching,” she explained.
Anyone who can assist Rochelle as a sponsor, or with fundraising ideas, can contact her on 0488 042 535.