She would wake with her heart racing, overwhelmed by anxiety before she had even left her bedroom.
Traditional schooling had never been an easy fit for Ruby ― who struggles with ADHD ― but as she reached her high-school years, the battle became increasingly difficult to ignore.
But Ruby is a determined person ― when she thinks she can benefit from something, she goes for it.
After discovering BlendED ― an alternative online school ― she began building a case for why it could work for her.
Ruby created a PowerPoint presentation for her mum, explaining why she believed the change would benefit her.
“I would be in a calmer environment, that was cosy and relaxing. I could complete my work so much faster, and the pressure of deadlines wouldn’t overwhelm me,” Ruby told her.
Soon enough, her mother realised that ‘no’ wasn’t an option.
After six months of Ruby’s persistence, her mum finally sent off the enrolment form.
Although nervous, Ruby immediately noticed a difference on her first day.
She was able to join in on the class discussions ― something she never thought she would be confident enough to do.
As days turned into weeks Ruby earned herself a nickname ― ‘Ruby Racehorse’ ― earned from her speed of completing assignments.
In fact, Ruby was so productive she completed her Term One and half of her Term Two work within her first two weeks.
“I was shocked at how much work I could get done,” she said.
A year after struggling to get through the school day, Ruby has gone on to win the 2026 VCE Leadership Award ― with her achievement to be formally recognised at a presentation at Melbourne’s Treasury Building on September 16.
Ruby attributed her nomination to the BlendED school ― saying “the school has seriously boosted me to my full potential”.
“Hearing I’d been nominated made me want to cry, so when I found out I made it to the top eight, the waterworks were coming,” she said.
When she asked her teacher, Mr Haberfield, why he had nominated her, his answer surprised her.
He told her she had consistently shown respect and consideration to others and had helped establish a positive and supportive culture within the online classroom.
Her enthusiasm and willingness to participate had given other students the confidence to contribute, joke around and share their achievements.
For Ruby, it was another indication that finding the right environment had allowed her to become the person she knew she could be.
She now hopes other young people who are struggling with school will realise they are not alone and there are alternative paths available.
And her advice to parents is simple: listen when a young person is telling you something is not working.
Ruby's own first step was finding BlendED.
And she believes it could be the first step for someone else, too.
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