At 18, Ella Dwyer is already thinking about how the experiences that shaped her childhood could one day help her support others.
Now studying a Bachelor of Behavioural Science at QUT, Ella hopes to continue into postgraduate study and ultimately work as a clinical psychologist. Her path towards that future has been shaped, in part, by growing up as a Defence kid – and by seeing first-hand the impact military service can have on families.
Ella’s father served in the Australian Army for around 19 years, and his career meant the family moved frequently. Ella attended five or six different schools, sometimes moving between states rather than simply changing schools within the same community.
‘It wasn’t just like, oh, move to another school in that district. It was moving to another state,’ she says.
The challenges of Defence life
For a shy child who found social situations difficult, constantly having to start again was challenging.
‘Always moving around and having to introduce myself was really hard because I struggled really bad with social anxiety,’ Ella says.
As she reached adolescence, the impact became more pronounced. She experienced depression and anxiety and was assessed by a doctor who believed she had adjustment disorder.
There was another side to military life, too – the periods when Ella’s father was away.
She remembers her mother effectively becoming a single parent while her father was serving, including during her mother’s pregnancy with Ella.
For much of her childhood, the family had to adapt to a life shaped by postings, deployments and change.
But Ella doesn’t look back on those years only through the lens of what was difficult.
Asked what she has taken from being a Defence kid, her answer is immediate: resilience.
‘I think the main thing I took away from being a Defence kid was resilience,’ she says. ‘It takes a lot to uplift your life every three years, always feeling unsettled.’
That experience, she says, taught her a great deal about herself.
‘While it has a downside, I genuinely think it was an important part of my journey. And I’ll take that for the rest of my life.’
The family also built strong friendships along the way. Ella remembers living on base in Canberra for several years and forming friendships that have continued even after those families left the Army.
Support makes a difference
It was only relatively recently that Ella became familiar with Soldier On. Her father knew of the organisation, but her own experience of Defence support was limited. At school, she remembers having access to a group for Defence kids, but she doesn’t recall accessing many other Defence family support services.
When she was looking through the University of Canberra’s scholarship opportunities, the Soldier On scholarship stood out.
‘I found that one was the most relevant to me because, obviously, growing up, my dad served in the Army for quite a while,’ she says. ‘I was able to apply for that one and write my application from a place that was pretty true to me.’
The Soldier On Scholarship provided Ella with a one-off, unconditional grant of $5,000.
The timing proved particularly significant.
To attend university in the ACT, Ella had moved out of home and was experiencing considerable financial pressure. The scholarship gave her some breathing space when she needed it most.
‘When I got that payment, it really did mean a lot because I was in such a stressful period,’ she says. ‘It allowed me to relax a little bit and focus on study, which was super important to me.’
Since receiving the scholarship, Ella has changed universities and changed direction within the sciences. She has left the University of Canberra, where she had been studying medical science, and is now in her first year of a four-year Bachelor of Behavioural Science with Honours at QUT. The ability to move back home with her parents – including her dad who now works in the construction industry and enjoys the opportunity to be more present in her life – is another benefit.
Ella says she is enjoying the course and already has a clear sense of where she wants it to lead.
‘I hope to go into clinical psychology,’ she says.
Ella’s interest in psychology is closely connected to her own family experience and to what she has seen through her father’s military career.
She says there is a history of mental illness in her family and that her father’s experiences serving overseas and in the Army have influenced the direction she wants to take professionally.
‘Mental health specifically, within organisations like the Army, is just such an important thing,’ she says.
For Ella, that interest extends beyond Defence.
She wants to explore ways of working with people experiencing mental health challenges and is particularly open to supporting people affected by military service and PTSD.
‘I’m very passionate about working with people and their mental health,’ she says.
Career motivation
Her own journey as a Defence kid has given her an understanding of change, uncertainty and the importance of finding connection. The scholarship has provided practical support at a vital point in that journey – but Ella sees its value in the context of something much bigger.
It has helped give her the space to focus on her education and keep building towards the career she wants.
And while she knows there were difficult parts to growing up in a military family, she doesn’t wish those experiences away.
‘It taught me a lot about who I am,’ she says.
For a young woman beginning her university journey, that sense of resilience may prove just as valuable as the degree itself.
Ella’s story is a reminder that supporting Defence kids is not only about helping them navigate the challenges of growing up with military life – it is also about giving them the opportunity to build the future they want.
For Ella, that future could involve using her own experiences and her education to help make that journey a little easier for someone else.
Financial Support for ADF Members, Veterans and Their Families
The University of Canberra supports the Defence community through initiatives such as the Soldier On Scholarship, which helps ADF veterans and their families pursue higher education by providing financial assistance for study-related costs.
Financial support opportunities may be available at different times throughout the year for ADF members, veterans and their families studying at UC.
