Learning to lead: Lance Minahan’s vision for giving back

Lance Minahan’s journey to Chisholm Institute wasn’t straightforward. But it’s one marked by resilience, growth, and a deep commitment to helping others. Now studying a Diploma of Youth Work, Lance is channelling his lived experience into a career that supports young people who feel overlooked or unheard. His time at Chisholm has been more than an academic pursuit – it’s been a space for reflection, healing, and transformation.

Lance’s early life was shaped by instability. At 14, he entered residential care, navigating a system that often felt indifferent to his struggles. With limited support and exposure to violence and substance use, his priority wasn't education – it was survival. But Lance never lost the desire to do better, especially once he became a father. Determined to create a different life for his children, he got clean and began rebuilding his future.

That’s when Chisholm came into focus. Encouraged by the idea that his past could inform his future, Lance enrolled in Youth Work with the goal of becoming the kind of mentor he once needed. What he found were educators who don’t just teach, they listen. Staff like Tracy and the Careers Team support him through challenges, including delays in placement due to his criminal record. Their belief in his potential helps him stay focused and motivated.

Lance speaks highly of the learning environment around him. From engaging class themes to practical skills, the course has helped him build confidence and clarity around his goal: to work in youth justice, where he can advocate for young people navigating the same systems he once did. 

With three children and another on the way, Lance’s life is full, but so is his sense of purpose. Chisholm has played a key role in that. It’s a place where students are seen for who they are and supported for who they want to become. For Lance, it’s not just about getting a qualification, it’s about making a difference.