Coomera Anglican College’s own Emerald Brewer is assisting to change the lives of young people who are at-risk or high-risk across the Gold Coast. In particular, Emerald works closely with families of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. 

Emerald attended the College from 1999 to 2008 where she excelled in visual arts, soccer, and basketball. Since leaving the College Emerald became a mum to four beautiful children and completed her Bachelor of Social Science and now completing her Masters in Secondary Teaching (English & Humanities).

While studying emerald started working as a youth with high-risk juveniles for both Youth Justice and in youth in the Brisbane city watch house, from this she started working for child safety specifically with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families under every level of intervention which then led her to be a Team Leader for a pilot project by the Queensland Government.  The Finding Kin project aims to try to find kin and support young people to transition from the residential space back to kin/community. So far, Emerald has transitioned 16 children from the residential space back to kin, nine of those being Indigenous children.

Working within this area grew her passion in life to support aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families to reengage back onto a steady/supported pathway and effectively change their outcome and quality of life for the better.  

Although in a short period of time Emerald has changed many lives for the better, there is no slowing down, with aspirations to become a Practice Leader for the South-East Gold Coast region within child safety or to eventually work in remote communities as a teacher or guidance counsellor.