Amber, 18, couldn’t have been prouder when she recently stepped onto the stage at Golden Grove High to receive her Year 12 graduation certificate.

Since primary school, she has had a clear goal – to be the first in her family to complete secondary school.

“It’s a big achievement – it’s a goal I’ve had since I was in Year 5,” says Amber, who lives in the northeastern suburbs.

“My siblings have supported me a lot. My sister has had a big role in that, encouraging me to continue.”

Amber was among about young people with a care experience who were recently invited to a special ceremony at Government House, to celebrate the completion of their SACE studies.

The Department for Child Protection is sharing her story in the lead up to World Care Day – the globe's biggest celebration of children and young people with a care experience – on Friday, 20 February.

Food and hospitality, psychology and child studies, were on Amber’s subject list, and she says along with her family, the support of her friends helped her successfully complete the year.

She has clear ambitions for the future following her final year of school – to study a Certificate IV in Child, Youth and Family Intervention at TAFE.

“I’d like to be a youth worker in residential care and eventually work up to being a social worker,” she says.

“I just feel like I want to support people because I have a very similar experience to them.”

Amber, who lived in residential care before moving into a supported independent living placement, is already advocating for other young people through the Northern Region Youth Advisory Council.

The council, based in Adelaide’s north, is among nine regional youth advisory groups in South Australia.

These groups meet to enable children and young people to hear from local stakeholders, consult on projects and policies, and advocate on issues important to them.

They help members build friendships with other children and young people in care, and develop life skills.

Amber has been a member for four years.

“I feel like I’m getting a lot of information I wouldn’t normally get just coming from social workers,” she says.

“We’ve had conversations about family and siblings and how important contact is and I feel like that’s improved a lot over the last couple of years.

This year's World Care Day theme is 'breaking barriers'. The theme recognises the barriers young people with a care experience face in areas including education, health, housing and leaving care - but also the resilience, creativity and determination they show in overcoming these hurdles.