Teens with wisdom
Who said adults had all the life wisdom? Julie Mataia is a humble student with a lot to admire. She’s just going through life as best as she can, staying true to who she is and what she likes. Respect.
Could you please introduce yourself?
Um, my name is Julie Mataia.
When and where were you born?
I was born in Australia, in Liverpool Hospital.
Describe the place where you grew up.
It was a… rough place, but it was really nice. Yeah, it was a really nice place.
Describe one significant memory from your childhood.
Um, when I always used to have barbecues with my family and [we would always be], like, singing together and stuff. Yeah.
How did it make you feel?
It made me comfortable, and it made me feel loved by my family.
Is there a smell, taste, or image that takes you back to your childhood? Can you describe that for me?
Um, when my mum used to cook one of our favourite meals, which was chow mein. It was, it was, it was [laughs] the best feeling ever. Yeah.
Are there any funny stories your family tells about you that come to mind?
Um, not really, but um… probably when — first time I started walking, one of my cousins pushed me off the stairs [laughs] and I just went up there and started walking.
How would you describe yourself when you were in school? Did you enjoy going to school?
Yeah I enjoyed going to school, um, making new friends and yeah.
Was there a teacher who had a particular influence on your life?
In primary school or… ?
In primary school or high school.
Oh, um, in primary school was Miss White, she was my kindergarten teacher. Um, she was really nice and she just gave me motivation to keep on going and pursuing my dreams. And in high school, um, I don’t think [so] not yet, cos since I’ve started high school, like, one year ago so I’m still trying to get to know my teachers well. Yep.
So, how’s life now, and does it feel like home?
Um, life now is a bit… alright, not as much as when I was little; cos my family found another — [their] own place, cos we always used to live in an apartment and we always used to have a backyard, and always have barbecues and stuff. But now it’s just very, like, so far, we don’t have the family stuff. But we still try to, yeah.
What dreams did you want to pursue when you were younger?
Um, I wanted to be a singer. Um… cos I loved singing. Going to church, I loved singing in church and stuff, yeah.
What does singing make you feel?
It makes me feel free, I feel as if no one can hold me back when I’m singing. It just makes me so happy.
What dreams did your parents have for you when you were growing up?
Um, they wanted me to work in banks and they wanted me to see — uh, they wanted to see me in an office, like, you know, doing stuff, and they wanted me to go to Uni. You know, be a police [woman] or something. Yeah. [laughs]
Is there something that you dreamed of doing for a long time? Have you been able to achieve that dream?
I don’t know yet, but I’ve always wanted to be an artist. But for now I’m not drawing at the moment, so yeah.
Can you tell me about a time when you had to show strength?
Um, when — so in 2016, uh… my grandma passed away. And she was such an inspiration to me, and you know, she looked after me, she raised me for two years, and um… Yeah, losing her was a bit of a down thingy, so yeah.
What is the hardest thing you’ve had to overcome [while] growing up?
Probably my insecurities. Um, not loving myself was the hardest thing that I could do. Um, not really knowing myself that much. Pleasing others. Yeah.
If you had one piece of advice for your younger self, what would that be?
Um, to, uh… sorry, can you repeat the question again?
If you had one piece of advice for your younger self, what would that be?
Um, it would be to keep on looking forward. Don’t look back, cos when you look back a lot of bad things will happen. Just forget about the past and just keep on going forward.
What are your most grateful moments for your life?
The most grateful moment, um, is when my parents actually… provided for me, you know, they gave me strength. So did my grandparents, and mostly my grandma. Yeah.
What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?
When I overcomed. Oh, I overcomed my fear of singing in front of others. Yeah.
Is there anything you’d like to know about me?
Um [laughs]. Um… hmmm… there’s a lot, but, um — your childhood. I would love to know about your childhood. Yep. So growing up, um, in this area, I would always get bullied for, like, stupid reasons. But now that I’m older and I’m in high school, I finally overcomed that fear. So, yeah.