A GIRL who started living independently from a young age is now using her life experience to achieve her dreams of studying at Oxford University and becoming a journalist.

Marnie Rauf is a clever 18-year-old, living independently, studying hard for her A-Level exams and working on an application to go to Oxford University.

The 18-year-old wants to be a journalist - either working on TV, or as an opinion columnist - and also harbours ambitions to be a scriptwriter.

Earlier this year, Miss Rauf was recognised by judges of the Orwell Youth Prize for her hard-hitting, honest description of a girl who decided to move away from her family after a difficult childhood, but then struggled with the independence and freedom she gained.

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It might then come as a surprise to learn that the story which so impressed the judges was based on her own experiences.

After a difficult childhood, she moved away from her family home at 16 but recognised she had strayed down the wrong path.

Miss Rauf, who now lives in Thorntree said: "I fell in with the wrong group of friends, I was being really frivolous, and I started drinking and neglecting my studies.

"I was living in Longlands and within six months, I'd lost my tenancy and I was failing everything at school. I knew I needed to change."

Miss Rauf moved into supported lodgings with the help of Middlesbrough Council's Children's Services team.

Supported lodgings provide a stepping stone to independence for young people leaving care.

Providers offer a spare room in their home to those between 16 and 21, and act as an advocate to help have a positive influence on young people's lives.

Miss Rauf attends the sixth form at Trinity Catholic College in Saltersgill added: "I can't even really explain how much it helped me,

"I asked my teachers if I could retake Year 12 at sixth form, and they all agreed. I'd pretty much failed all my GCSEs, but they helped me, and I turned it around.

"At the end of the day, I'd go home and the man I was living with, he'd ask me what I'd learned and how my day was.

"He asked me what University I wanted to go to, and I'd never even thought about it as an option. The fact he was asking showed me that someone believed in me."

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Miss Rauf is sharing her story during National Care Leavers Week to show other young people that a difficult start is no barrier to achieving their dreams.

Miss Rauf added: "I want to go to Oxford to study English Language and Literature. The switch from being very un-focused and un-ambitious happened really quickly, but I've got my entrance exam in November and I'm enjoying putting the work in.”

In her story, A New Direction: Starting Small, she focuses on how small changes helped her get back on track.

Judges for the Orwell Youth Prize, said of Miss Rauf's work: "It demonstrates how the kindness of one person can contribute to changing someone's life, providing a sincere depiction on the impact of helping young people in difficult situations."

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