Before MOB, Logan was running on empty – now he’s building a life he’s proud of. This is his story, in his own words.
Before MOB, Logan was running on empty. He was battling ADHD, stuck in a cycle of low self-esteem, and carrying the weight of years of bullying. He didn’t feel like he fit anywhere. He floated between groups, talking to anyone who’d talk back, but never really had close friends. By Year 10, school felt pointless. He had already decided he’d probably leave early.
“I was very lost, very aggressive. I had a lot of emotional problems. I didn’t know who I was. I had no sense of personality,” he said. “I was the kind of kid that just floated around. Anyone that wanted to talk to me, I would talk to, but I didn’t have a lot of friends. I was bullied a lot, which led to a lot of self-esteem issues.”
By the time he reached Year 11, Logan’s relationship with school was at breaking point. “I had a bit of a bad impression with school. I was tempted to drop out after Year 10. I was very bitter towards teachers because they were never the biggest help.”
Everything changed when he joined MOB halfway through Year 11, at the start of Term 3. Within a few days, school stopped feeling like something to survive and started feeling like something he could actually enjoy. “That impression vanished in what felt like a day,” he said.
The first week was packed with MOB Adventure days — jet boating, tennis, escape rooms — and it caught him off guard in the best way. “It didn’t feel like school. It felt like one of those summer camps you see in TV shows,” he said.
It helped that he recognised a familiar face, an old childhood friend who was already at MOB. Through him, Logan found a tight-knit group of mates and a community that genuinely wanted him there. “I had a friend group I loved. I had a school I actually enjoyed. I had a place where I felt like I wouldn’t be judged,” he said.
What surprised him most was how different the learning felt. In mainstream schools, it had always felt like he was just another student in the system. Follow the rules, don’t talk unless you’re spoken to, get your work done on time. At MOB, things felt more human.
“The teachers always made it feel like you were in a classroom, sure, but you got freedom too. You could listen to music while you worked, as long as you stayed focused. You could talk things through with mates. You could ask for help without feeling like a burden. You were allowed to actually enjoy yourself in the classroom,” he said.
Logan said it never felt like the teachers were just doing their job. It felt like they genuinely cared. “In mainstream schools, it’s like they’re paid to care. At MOB, you can feel that they actually give a damn about you.”
Another thing that stood out to him was the environment itself. “In mainstream schools it’s just a big block of land. Here at MOB it’s kind of like a little neighbourhood that you’re a part of. If something’s going on, people know. Things don’t just get ignored — someone checks in. That made me feel safe.”
Growing up surrounded by women and without a father figure, Logan had always struggled with male authority. Any time a man tried to tell him what to do, he’d see them through the lens of his own dad and push back hard. That shifted at MOB.
“As much as the women of MOB played a big part in making it comfortable, a lot of the men here really set me on a better path,” he said. “Before I went to MOB, I didn’t have any good father figures. I had a problem with authority, especially if it was from a man. But the men here didn’t demand respect. They earned it. They weren’t saying, ‘I’m the adult, follow my rules.’ They were showing us, ‘This is how the real world works, and we’ll guide you through it.’”
It gave him something he didn’t realise he was missing — positive male role models who actually cared about him. “It really played a big part in my rise to adulthood,” he said.
Logan graduated in 2024 and is currently working at KFC to keep money coming in while he figures out his next steps. He’s aiming to work in a restaurant as a server, something that combines two things he loves: food and people.
Looking back, Logan admits it’s hard not to wonder how different things could have been if he’d found MOB earlier.
“I kind of feel like I joined too late and left too early,” he said. “Two years just wasn’t enough time. If I’d had MOB through my whole high school life, I think my life would look really different now.” He’s watched from the sidelines as MOB has continued to grow — new buildings, more programs, and now plans to welcome Year 7s. It’s something he’s both proud of and a little bittersweet about.
“Seeing how you guys are building it all now, especially bringing in Year 7s, it makes me think… if I’d had MOB from the start, I wonder how much earlier I would’ve found who I really am. How much earlier I would’ve had that support, those friendships, those role models,” he said. “It would’ve changed everything.”
Still, he says knowing other boys will get that chance makes it easier to let go of the what-ifs. “I’m just excited to see how many hearts MOB can touch and change. I can’t wait to see how far it goes.”
“I’m proud to be a MOB boy forever.”
