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diagnosed with some form(s) of mental illness. At school they had been the ‘psychos’, ‘tards’ and general misfits. Their worth and value were little in comparison to those of their fellow students who were better able to deal with the day-to-day pressures of life and school. But Jess can sing. As I had sat down in the room where we were to gather, I heard singing coming from one of the rooms down a hallway. After we had spoken for quite a while I asked the group whose voice it was I had heard. “Yeah, that’d be Jess,” volunteered one of them.
It took just a little bit of encouragement, but Jess eventually started singing; and it was one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard. We all sat there totally entranced as Jess gave voice to a particularly moving song. It was truly amazing and I believe - hope that it will stay with me forever. She confessed to us that her goal in life was to be a professional singer and that she had put forward her name to audition for a talent show in Sydney. I asked all the young people in turn what they felt made them unique. What it was in their lives that
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