As a young adult still finding her way, Monique Jasmin walked into the City of Gosnells youth services office with a Cert IV in hand and a heart to help others.
More than a decade later, that same drive, influenced by years of mentoring teens at skate parks, after-school drop-ins and girls’ programs, now fuels a creative path unfolding far from home.
Monique, who grew up across the Canning and Gosnells area, now lives on Groote Eylandt, a remote island off the Northern Territory coast.
Though the backdrop has changed, she is still strongly connected to her community, which informs everything she does.
“Working for the City of Gosnells was more than just a job to me,” she said.
“It was a meaningful chapter in my early twenties when I was still figuring things out, but knew I loved working with people.”
She’d started out volunteering at a local church in Langford, leading the youth band and running programs, before taking on a casual youth work role with the city.
From there, she was mentored into more senior roles like supervising teams, organising skate events, running camps and mentoring young girls.
“It meant a lot to be giving back in spaces like the ones that supported me growing up. It really shaped who I am.”
One of her most memorable experiences was running drop-in centre programs, where young people from different backgrounds found a place to belong.
“They took real ownership of the space,” Monique said.
“They’d bring ideas, and we’d work together to bring them to life. It was about helping them feel heard.”
Though she’s since moved across the country, she still keeps an eye on updates from the area, and said she was thrilled to see the new Youth Entertainment Space open in Huntingdale.
After marrying her partner, Monique left Perth for what was meant to be a short camping trip around Australia.
“We never moved back,” she noted. The couple took on work in different communities, with one of their longer stops being Gladstone in Central Queensland. There, she helped disengaged youth in Biloela gain hospitality qualifications and job placements.
But it was on Groote Eylandt, an island she reached after putting their car on a barge and flying in on a tiny plane, that Monique found a slower pace of life, and eventually, time to think. “We’ve now been here six years,” she said.
“We’ve got a dog, a few chickens, and life is simpler. It’s taught me to be resourceful and grateful for the little things.”
When her mental health hit a rough patch, she took a break from community work and started driving trucks, a surprising detour that gave her space to heal.
It also brought her back to songwriting, something she’d used since her teenage years to process big emotions.
Her first song, written on the bedroom floor during that tough time in Gladstone, eventually became ‘Stronger Together’, a track about vulnerability and identity. She first performed it at a local International Women’s Day event, and the response encouraged her to record it properly.
Since then, Monique’s music has reached listeners across the country.
Now, music continues to be a way for her to express the emotions that come with change, distance and connection.
Her next track, ‘Let Me In’, was written during an emotionally challenging period soon after moving to Groote.
She described it as a response to the frustration of feeling emotionally shut out, something she believes many people will relate to.
It’s about the struggle to connect with someone emotionally; a familiar feeling for many, especially in isolated places.
“It’s a reminder that it’s healthy to express yourself and your needs,” she said.
“Now that we’ve worked through those challenges, the song feels raw, real, and empowering.” She added, “Funnily enough, it’s now my husband’s favourite track of mine.”
But at its core, Monique said it’s never really been about chasing a career; it’s about connecting with others.
“Even while I was helping young people find their voice, I was still being shaped by the people around me. Creatively, I’m drawn to writing about connection and the feeling of belonging, because that’s what really stays with us.”
Now, she’s looking ahead and hoping to one day bring her music back to where it all began.
“Perth still feels like home. I’d love to come back and share my story with the people I grew up with,” she says. “I’m also keen to reconnect with community programs again; that’s something I’m always thinking about.”
For young people growing up in Canning or Gosnells, unsure of their direction or wrestling with self-doubt, Monique said this:
“Remember your worth. Hold on to who you truly are. The small choices you make now can shape your future, and the people around you. If you’ve got a dream, believe in it. But most of all, believe in yourself.”
She added, “I’m still figuring it out too. But better late than never.”
