Star Stories
Celebrating the young people, families and communities supported through Grow a Star. Read inspiring stories about confidence, opportunity and achieving goals through education, sport, creativity and personal development.
Grow a Star supports young athlete Evelyn
When Evelyn' family applied for support through the Back to School Blitz, they hoped to help her continue pursuing her passion for swimming and triathlon training.
With support from Grow a Star, Evelyn received new swimming goggles, sports shoes and swimwear to help her stay active and continue building confidence through sport.
“This support means Evie can continue doing something she loves and keep building her confidence through sport,” her mum, Marcela, said.
Read her full story here Young athlete receives support through Grow a Star NZ Back to School Blitz
Max is moving forward
Grow a Star is supporting New Zealand student Max as he begins his driver licence journey.
Through Grow a Star, Max was able to complete his learner licence and take five professional driving lessons – an important first step toward gaining independence and accessing future training and employment opportunities.
He’s now working toward his restricted licence, which will allow him to drive on his own within restricted hours. While he hasn’t yet completed any driving tests beyond his learner, Grow a Star has helped remove the financial barriers that would have made this goal much harder to reach.
This support has given Max the confidence to keep progressing at his own pace. With time and continued effort, he’s on track to achieve a key milestone in his life that will open doors for his future.