Name: Matt Ambrose & Lucy Gregg
Age: 24 & 20 (21 in less than three weeks WOO)
School: Fraser Coast Anglican College (grad 2011) & Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School (grad 2015)
yLead Involvement: Matt – Started working for yLead in Feb 2018. Lucy – Participant at SLC 2015, first volunteered at VIC Girls for Change 2015 then went on to mentor/guru at SLC in 2016 and 2018, and also at ASLC Townsville in 2018. Travelled with yLead in 2017 to Tanzania (#lifechanging)
Favourite Quote: Matt – “All the world’s a stage” Shakespeare. Lucy – “Some people come into our lives and quickly go, others leave footprints on our hearts and we are never ever the same” Flavia Weedn.
A: Matt, you came into the team in February having never experienced yLead before – how have you found it? What have been some of your favourite parts so far?
M: At first it was pretty full on, it was like walking into a new school in year 12 and everyone knows each other, but everyone was super nice and welcoming and I’m slowly learning the ropes.
A: And Lucy, you’ve been around yLead since being a participant at SLC in 2015. How does it feel being on the other side?
L: Have you ever had a dream, a goal, or ambition that tugs at your soul? It distracts your mind when you should be working on other things, it makes you emotional, and when you get to talk about it with someone, you find it hard to stop. Often it seems like a distant dream that you’ll never get to achieve – or at least, not in the near future.
That’s what working for yLead was for me. After my first volunteer experience at Girls for Change in 2015, I knew I’d found my dream job. I’m insanely passionate about the values and messages we share as an organisation, and also the powerful community we create. Every day I get to live out my dream and be a part of this awesome family – something that feels surreal, and I am beyond grateful for.
A: Matt, you studied zoology, theatre AND teaching at uni… what a combo! Do you have any advice for people who are unsure of what they want to study?
M: Follow your passion! And don’t be afraid of trying new things. I distinctly remember telling a friend that I would never be a teacher and then 4 years later I was in a Graduate Diploma in Education and loving it.
A: How’s Brisbane life treating you so far LG after making the move from Melbourne? What would you tell people who have a big dream but are a little nervous to chase it?
L: I recently travelled back to Melbourne and didn’t pack any shoes except sandals. My frozen toes would tell you that I’ve definitely settled into Brissy life well – it’s already starting to feel like home. I absolutely have moments where I miss my family, hockey team and the epic sunsets I used to see from my apartment. But the dream I get to live out here with yLead is worth fighting for.
CHASE YOUR DREAM. Do it. I guarantee you’ll never feel more inspired, invigorated or filled with as much love. It’s an insanely scary thing to do – but that’s half the fun of it. Also, it’s so important to have supportive people around you (for advice, comfort and an occasional kick up the butt). yLead is a great place to start to find those people (I know I did). If you ever need a heart-to-heart chat, I’m always here, even if we’ve never met. 0457 089 628 is where you’ll find me – sunset photos also appreciated.
A: What do you both love about being a part of the yLead community? What are you looking forward to in your new roles?
M: I love the feeling of community and family that yLead has. I’m really looking forward to meeting more people at yConnect so I can start putting more faces to names and make some awesome memories!
L: Since my first experience with this incredible organisation, I have met some truly inspiring, insanely supportive, slightly crazy people. These are the people that make up the yLead family – the family I am so grateful to be a part of. The amazing thing about our yLead family is that you don’t have to be the CEO or a long-term volunteer to be a part of it. Perhaps without even knowing it, as soon as one experiences an in-school, conference or travel adventure, they are a part of yLead. That’s the power of this movement, and why I love it so much. The essence of yLead lies within the people, within us all.
Speed round: MATT
Favourite food: Sushi
Favourite past time: Netflix
Favourite band: Rufus or Flume
Which actor would play you in a movie of your life? Dylan Obrian or KJ Apa
Any secret talents? I can whistle like a bird