ɫ����վ

Mariah Howell is transforming her difficult upbringing into a career that’s helping others find their own brighter future.

“Growing up was tough and, as a teenager, my mental health seriously suffered,” the third-year Bachelor of Social Work student says.

“I believed that I deserved what happened to me. I would never be able to escape my childhood trauma. This is all that life had in store for me.”

Mariah lived through violent circumstances and incarcerated family—enduring legacies of generational trauma that shaped her early years.

But through dedicated professional mental health support, Mariah began turning her life around and started studying at Griffith University.

“I started seeing a different path for myself,” she says. “Without their guidance, I couldn’t see a future at all.”

Coming from a Māori family of seven—with parents who had to stop studying after Year 9—Mariah saw university as an opportunity to break free from a cycle compounded by a lack of access to education.

She says the Brighter Futures Scholarship is a high watermark representing her “symbolic transformation”, as it also recognises “my resilience, my journey and my dedication to creating a better future”.

Mariah is now in a place of strength, supported by her partner and his family, while she focuses on finishing her demanding degree. While she has a five-month placement lined up with the ɫ����վ Violence Action Centre, which delivers domestic and family violence counselling, it’s an unpaid full-time position.

While social workers are a vital workforce, students like Mariah face a tricky balance to negotiate the high burden of contact hours on the way to becoming professionals.

Mariah explains that social work students must complete 1,000 hours of unpaid placement. “I need to do 500 hours this year alone; that means switching from full-time to casual work, and that’s significantly affected how I support myself financially," she says.

“The Brighter Futures Scholarship is the difference between me graduating and dropping out completely. It has eased the pressure of living expenses and the lost income from pursuing my career goals.”

Mariah says the generosity and support from donors to the Brighter Future Scholarships is the “backbone of my commitment to my studies”, adding that donors aren’t just a financial lifeline; they’re “actively helping students to break cycles of disadvantage”, she says: “You’re supporting students like me to create new opportunities and empower us to make lasting impacts in the community.”

Despite all these demands—balancing placement, reduced work hours and coursework—Mariah continues to excel in her studies. She’s been recognised for these efforts with an Academic Excellence Award (by achieving at least a 6.0 GPA) and a Brighter Futures Scholarship for a second year in a row.

"This scholarship comes with this community that supports me to reach my goals,” she says, thinking of them as a personal cheerleading squad, “especially during stressful times when I really doubted my myself”.

“I feel recognised by the Brighter Futures Scholarships community and validated that I am enough and that I can do this,” she says.

Outside of study and work, Mariah finds joy in surfing, staying active and unwinding in nature.

“I also love reading books aligned with social work, which allows me to continuously learn and explore different perspectives,” she says. Recently, she’s been trying to learn the basics of using a sewing machine: “It’s been more frustrating than rewarding so far, but I’m sure that will change.”

While becoming a successful fashion designer may be some way off for Mariah right now, her dedication to her social work career is unparalleled. Someday, she hopes to work for an organisation such as Bravehearts, supporting victims of child sexual abuse and making social support services accessible for everyone.

"My goal is to support people experiencing adversity,” she says. “I want to use my own experience and education to advocate for anyone who feels ignored, to give them guidance and to foster their healing and empowerment.”