How Annie Zhou turned a school project into a platform for youth voice
Year 12 student Annie Zhou turned a Year 9 UpSchool project into a national podcast, published book, and platform empowering young people to find their voice.
Thursday 24 April 2025
When Annie Zhou stood up to pitch her idea at the UpSchool Interschool Pitch Comp in Year 9, she had no idea it would lead her to Seek headquarters, a national podcast and a published book. But that’s exactly what happened.Now in Year 12 at Caulfield Grammar School, Annie is the founder and host of Brighter Futures, a youth podcast with more than 50,000 listeners and a growing suite of episodes featuring leaders, change-makers and creatives. She’s also the author of Money Made Simple, a financial literacy book now being distributed in schools and public libraries across Australia.Annie first encountered entrepreneurship in her Year 9 classroom, when her teachers undertook Wade Institute’s teacher professional development program UpSchool and integrated their learnings into the school curriculum. What began as a classroom entrepreneurship unit quickly sparked something much bigger.“Before that, I really saw school as something that we just kind of go through – a checklist of subjects and tests. But UpSchool really helped me realise that learning could be about purpose and about this independent initiative that young people could have.”Together with classmates, Annie developed Bloom, a project focused on creating secure job opportunities for young people. Their pitch for the UpSchool Interschool Pitch Comp didn’t just impress the judges, it led to an invitation to present the idea at SEEK headquarters.“I was just so blown away at the opportunity. The fact that a few weeks ago we were just thinking about this idea to then be actually standing there… I remember getting a tour of the amazing headquarters at SEEK and presenting our idea in front of the directors. It was an insane experience that I’ll never forget.”That moment was a turning point, not just for Annie, but for her teachers. After the program, Annie says they started treating students more like collaborators: people with ideas worth pursuing, not just work to submit.“They allowed us to take more authority, I think, of our learning, so not just students absorbing the content but instead encouraged us to think big and take action. And it wasn’t just like, here’s what you need to know, but more, what do you want to change? How can we support you?”That shift in mindset gave Annie the confidence to launch her own initiative. At just 16 years old, armed with a $20 Kmart microphone, she created Brighter Futures, a podcast exploring leadership, resilience, and purpose through the voices of community leaders, creatives, founders, and fellow students.“I didn’t really have any fancy equipment or a big platform, just my microphone. But I did have a strong belief that young people deserve a place to be heard, to learn, and to feel inspired.”The podcast quickly found its audience. With more than 15,000 listens to date, Annie has built a platform that offers young people both practical guidance and inspiration, from how to navigate failure to what it means to lead with courage.Her guests have included everyone from her school principal to the mayor of her local council and even Wade Institute’s own Andrew ‘Midsy’ Middleton. Each conversation adds to the show’s growing archive of lived experience and advice, and Annie prepares for them the same way she does her studies.“Every episode is kind of like a mini assignment. I do my studies on the guest, prep questions, and on the day I make sure the conversation flows well. And then after that I do my editing and write up some descriptions, titles and post on social media.”The thread running through all her interviews? Just start, and don’t give up.“A lot of the very successful people I’ve spoken to didn’t succeed by avoiding failure. They succeeded because they were able to persist through that failure.”That message hits home for Annie. Born in China, she would often visit her grandparents’ remote apple orchard. Her father was the first in his family to attend university – an opportunity that reshaped the family’s trajectory. Returning to that village years later, Annie saw firsthand how a lack of access to education could limit young people’s futures. That experience continues to fuel her work today.It’s also what led to her next venture: Money Made Simple, a financial literacy book Annie wrote and self-published to help other young people understand money, economics, and opportunity. The book is now being distributed by CUFA and used as a resource across schools and public libraries.Alongside the book and podcast, Annie delivers workshops through her initiative Money-Wise and serves on the student advisory board for VicSRC, Victoria’s peak body for student representation.So what advice does she hope every young person takes away from her work?“You don’t need anyone’s permission to start. Just start now. Just do it. Your progress doesn’t require perfection and your story, your voice, and your passion are powerful enough tools for you to take action.”And as for what’s next? Annie has her sights set on her dream podcast guest: Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai.“I think she’s so well known for the efforts that she’s put in for girls’ rights and women’s education, which I think links really well to my podcast and my purpose as well. I’d love to ask her about what she learned about resilience and the advice that she would give to young people helping to make change in their communities.”Annie may still be in school, but she’s already leading – with clarity, courage, and a voice that’s only getting louder.Listen to Annie’s conversation with UpSchool Program Director Andrew Middleton on the Brighter Futures Youth Podcast.