Deadly Futures helps Indigenous youth in Casino to success

Jyron Robertson's aspirations to one day become a doctor have been kept well and truly alive thanks to the Titans' Deadly Futures program.

The young Indigenous student is one of the many success stories from the initiative run in partnership with the Preston Campbell Foundation, working with Year 9 and 10 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to learn about Indigenous timelines, cultural identity and career aspirations.

Admitting he had fallen in with the wrong crowd, it was the Titans life member and figurehead of the program that helped him get back on track to continue on his dream career path.

"Before this program, I wasn’t totally ashamed but I was a little bit ashamed," he said.

"Talking with Preston allowed me to open up more and talk about how I feel.

"We did this activity the other day where we did have to ask for help.

"That really means a lot to me because earlier this year, I was going through stuff and hanging around a bad crowd. I got on drugs and stuff but that’s when I asked for help."

Over the past few months, Campbell and the team have worked with Robertson and other students from Casino Public School and Bonalbo Central School at the Windara Community and Resource Centre with the aim to Inspire the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

The Gold Coast Titans community leader is proud to be part of the program that has spanned the past seven years, elaborating on the importance of the initiative and connecting within a community that has its recent challenges.

"This program just fits so well with young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and it’s important because they need to hear it, especially in Casino at the moment," Campbell said.

"They’ve had a pretty tough time, not just with the natural disasters, but they’ve had some pretty tough stuff in the community and I think they’ve really needed to hear something a little more positive.

"Hopefully we’ve been able to provide that."

Through participating in the Deadly Futures program, it has allowed Robertson to open up to the people around him, which in turn has helped him to continue to aspire to chase his career goals.

“It's brought people close to me and when I’ve got people close to me, it’s easy for me to open up. If I need help I can just ask them," he said.

"I don’t like to see anyone struggling. If I see anyone struggling, I want to try and help them.

"I want to become a doctor. It’s always been a dream of mine and this program will help me get there."