We want to celebrate a remarkable young person in our community who has shown phenomenal progress in her English literacy. Haylee Bissett is a 16-year-old girl who attends Sunshine College in Brimbank. She has a passion for storytelling and using her voice to create change. In 2019, in an aim to be part of something different and meet new people, Haylee joined The Bold Source program. The Bold Source is a youth magazine produced by Brimbank Youth Services that aims to give young people a platform to share their stories and be creative. Haylee has autism which she said makes being understood in social situations quite difficult for her. So, she was nervous when she joined the editorial team. But over the next two years, Haylee has become a key member of the group. Apart from editing, Haylee has written pieces for the magazine too. She says she feels more confident about writing and public speaking, more knowledgeable about editing and magazine production and loves the positive dynamic of the team.  

Since joining The Bold Source, Haylee has shown impressive improvements in her English literacy. Before joining, Haylee was at a Year 4 reading level on her On Demand testing. This year she jumped up to a Year 8 reading level. Haylee believes her participation in The Bold Source contributed to this incredible improvement. Haylee’s English teacher Ms. Samantha Smith shared some more ways her student has improved.

“In the short time that I have taught Haylee she has made great strides in how she approaches reading, writing, speaking and listening. Haylee actively participates in whole class and group discussions and I have noticed her develop more confidence during whole class reading – which is great! She has also made great strides in writing and has produced some fantastic written pieces including an Argument Analysis essay. Haylee is always looking for ways to improve and is willing to take on and make changes to her work once receiving feedback.”

Let’s celebrate Haylee Bissett, the bright and incredible young person for her incredible improvements in her learning as well as her creative contributions to community.

The Bold Source program is currently open for new members to join the editorial team. They are also opening up submissions for their third issue, so keep an eye out for that.
Be sure to check out the latest issue on The Bold Source here

For more information about The Bold Source, email Brimbank Youth Services at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.