“ You can be whoever you want to be . Just because society has placed you in a certain group or category , does not mean that you can ' t succeed and fulfil your dreams .”

- Noa Woolloff

CHECK OUT NOA ’ S INSPIRING TEDx TALK -

Google ‘ Noa Woolloff Tedx Talk ’

Discover more young Kiwis changing the world www . inspiringstories . org . nz

Imagine being told at 16 years old , “ You ’ re going to be a Dad !” Meet Noa Woolloff , a young man with an inspiring story of turning a huge life challenge into an opportunity to grow and make a positive impact on the world .

If you watch the 6 o ’ clock news you could be forgiven for worrying about what the future holds . Apparently bad news sells ! As readers of Marlborough Magazine , we think you love to hear the good news stories ! If that sounds like you , then this is a story that will make your heart sing .

Google “ Noa Woolloff Tedx Talk ” and you ’ ll hear six inspiring minutes of courage and kindness , as Noa delivers a powerful speech at TedxYouth in Wellington back in 2016 . Since then Noa has gone on to inspire many young ( and not so young ) people through public speaking , something he thrives on . He was recently a keynote speaker at The NZ Youth Awards , and last month was privileged to speak at the Social Enterprise World Forum , in Scotland .

Rewind four years , Noa was a carefree 16 year old about to be hit with a bombshell . He got news that he was going to be a Dad . Noa , overwhelmed by the stigma attached to being a young parent , was so worried about how others would judge him that he kept this news a secret , even from his parents , until his daughter was two months old . Finally , when it became too much to bear , he opened up to his mother and realised with enormous relief , that he was scared of something that didn ’ t actually exist . He felt like , ' all of the stereotypes of being a young parent were ripped out of me ', and he discovered the importance of having the courage to face your fears and own up to your responsibilities .

Noa went on to win a scholarship to Outward Bound . This was a life changing experience , following which he embarked on a mission to help other young people break free of stereotypes , so they too can have a fair and equal chance at life . He launched Increase Clothing , a clothing company where 100 % of profits are used to send young parents to leadership courses and events . All the while he was completely owning the responsibilities of being a Dad and Head Boy of his college .

At 18 , Noa left college hungry , driven and eager to learn . After attending another big life changing event , “ Festival For The Future ”, he began an internship at Inspiring Stories , an organisation creating a movement of young New Zealanders who can and will change the world . Through hard work , his internship turned into full time employment in his current position , Head of Youth Engagement .

I was lucky enough to chat with Noa and I was buoyed and uplifted by his passion , wisdom , dedication , and bright view of the future . After just 15 minutes talking with Noa a wonderful feeling came over me , “ We ARE in good hands !”. Here are a few of the highlights …

What do you think are the biggest challenges for youth today ?

That ’ s a deep and big question . We ’ re more educated than ever before , and some of the world ’ s challenges have never been as visible as they are today . When ever has there been a time when we can pick up a device in our pocket and see the crisis that is happening in Syria ? Or see the impact of global warming in the Pacific ? There ’ s lots of stuff going on that needs to be addressed quickly , which is really challenging for lots of young people . Unemployment , drugs and alcohol abuse are also massive challenges . We need to get out of that Kiwi mentality and Kiwi mindset and put more confidence into people . Many New Zealanders , especially men have that macho mentality , and don ’ t talk about it when things get hard , so hopefully that starts to change .

How can you help more Kiwi kids get the skills and tools they need to lead us into a bright future ?