Not many teenagers work two jobs, live alone and attend school full-time with the aim of going on to become a doctor.
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Walgett born Zoe Provest is doing all that and more in Dubbo as she enters the final few months of her schooling life.
The 17-year-old Aboriginal woman moved into a granny flat on her own last year after the drought and tough economic times made it hard for her parents to leave their hometown of Walgett.
They still haven't been able to make the move [to Dubbo], everything out there's so tough so it's kind of hard for them to just pack up and go.
- Zoe Provest
After she attended primary school in Walgett, the high achiever moved to Dubbo with her nan and studied at Macquarie Anglican Grammar School for three-and-a-half years.
"Nan moved to the Gold Coast so I had to go back to Walgett and I went to school there for a term," Ms Provest said.
While the school in Walgett offered her many links to universities, Ms Provest wanted to be around her friends in Dubbo and return to the city to attend Dubbo College Senior Campus.
"Mum advertised on the Dubbo buy, swap and sell Facebook page and asked if there was someone I could live with down here for two years," she told Australian Community Media.
"A lady messaged us and told us she had a granny flat and it was just her that lived there. We organised to meet up with her."
That meeting went well and Ms Provest moved in to her new place last year.
To make ends meet, she gets some support from Centrelink and works about 20 hours a week at Myer and Zambrero.
Ms Provest said because she has lived away from her parents during most of her years in high school, she copes reasonably well being away from them.
"I've always been pretty independent so it's not as hard for me but sometimes I do get a bit upset and I miss them," she said.
"They still haven't been able to make the move [to Dubbo], everything out there's so tough so it's kind of hard for them to just pack up and go.
"Dad used to be a roo shooter then he worked for a guy who owned heaps of land in Walgett."
The drought has forced her dad to go back to shearing but "it's still hard", she said.
"There's not very much on because people are selling off their sheep."
Ms Provest's mum works at not-for-profit community organisation in Walgett and both parents try to visit Dubbo as as much as possible.
"I don't get much time to get home," she said.
"I play netball on Saturday's in the winter and it's a three hour drive to Walgett."
In Dubbo Ms Provest has surrounded herself with great friends who help her out from time to time.
"My boyfriend lives here in Dubbo as well and I'm really close with his family so instead of having dinner on my own I can go out to their house and have dinner with them.
"The lady that lives in the house helps me out with the washing and stuff, she's really helpful.
"I've got some good friends here and that makes it easier."
Staff at Ms Provest's school, and from an organisation called Education Out West, have also been supportive.
"They come into our school every Monday and they help with getting into university and applications," she said.
"They take you down to universities for open days and to see what lectures and facilities are like too."
When it comes to life after school, the Year 12 student said she originally wanted to study nursing or something health related in Sydney or Newcastle.
"I've always wanted to get a job to help people," she said.
"I love babies so I always wanted to do midwifery."
One of the teachers at her school recognised Zoe's talents and made another suggestion - medicine.
"I think it will be hard but it's what I want to do now so I just have to put my mind to it and give it a go.
"If I aim high and I don't get there then that's fine but at least I tried.
"I do think it's really good universities have opened up a lot of Indigenous access programs because we do need more doctors, more surgeons, more nurses, everything.
"Wherever I end up I'll be happy with that because I've got through school."
If she is accepted to study medicine at a university, Ms Provest will be the first person in her immediate family to attend university.
"Don't limit yourself to what you think you're capable of, most people are more capable than they think," she said.
