Josh on Becoming a Disability Support Worker

Josh’s Journey

High School

I grew up and went to school in Warracknabeal. In a small town, your friends are nearby, you can go down the creek anytime, and you can ride your dirt bikes whenever. Looking back, I could’ve appreciated the lifestyle more during High School. But I think it’s better to think of how you improve as you get older, and how much better I am at living life in the moment.

There was always an expectation that I would go to a university and get a degree. It’s just an assumption that teachers and family have of young people. I did end up going to Melbourne to study, but I eventually found a better path for myself. 

Leaving University

I moved to the city after High School and studied a Bachelor of Game Design for two years. At the time, I thought it seemed pretty good. I don’t regret any part of my experience. I made friends, experienced a new way of living, and got to study an industry I love.

A growing list of things told me that I wasn’t as fulfilled as I wanted to be. I always saw games as a hobby or an escape, and studying their mechanics took some of my enjoyment away and morphed my hobby into work.

What would I think of myself in five or ten years? Would I be happy? Why did I want to make games? Could I bring colour into people’s lives in another way, without jeopardising my own enjoyment of gaming?

These questions led me to the decision to move home and start fresh. 

Finding a New Pathway

Since early 2020, I have had a full time role as a Disability Support Worker in my home town of Warracknabeal. I’m in the accommodation sector with clients of all ages who need support to live their everyday lives. I never considered this type of work for myself, and only applied on a whim and a recommendation from a friend.

It’s been treating me very well. I love working there and enjoy every aspect. You enjoy being at work when you know that a person’s day would be incomplete without your help. It makes it easy to get out of bed for work. There are opportunities for further training and I couldn’t see myself working anywhere else.

What I’ve Learned so Far

Life deals its cards. Everyone just does their best and carries on.  I had a rigid path laid out for myself, but it eventually had to be put aside so I didn’t miss out on new and unexpected opportunities – like the job I now love! Stay open to all options and reassess what you’re doing with your life. You never know what’s around the corner.

I also assumed that it was a bad idea to choose a different path to university, but that’s completely untrue. Uni is just one path that might help you get where you want. There are all sorts of places and pathways that are better suited to lots of people. You can even go to Uni later in life, if it suits you then!