Rebecca Symes

Rebecca Symes used to avoid any form of writing because she didn’t want people to be aware how difficult it was for her. However, in her mid-20s and newly engaged, she wanted to do something so that she could be more independent.

Going along with a friend to a 26TEN program, Rebecca started her journey to learning how to read and write – and she has never looked back.

Rebecca was ‘very excited’ when she found out she was a 2023 Scholarship winner and hopes to use her prize to take on a barista course. Rebecca’s scholarship was made available through the Learning Changes Lives Foundation.

A Launceston resident, Rebecca, 28, works on her literacy skills each Wednesday morning with Sharon Wagner from the Northern Suburbs Community Centre. Sharon has become a trusted advisor and Rebecca plans to chat to Sharon about her plans to do a barista course. Rebecca says that Sharon keeps her moving forward, often throwing in a surprise spelling test to keep her on her toes!

Rebecca keeps a written record of her daily activities and appointments. And she has started recording her thoughts and ideas in a journal – an interest she shares with her future mother-in-law.

A much more confident person now, Rebecca has been able to achieve her goals through hard work and perseverance. And she has a wedding to look forward to next year too.