Opinion & Perspectives
22 November, 2025
When it Raiyns, it pours: Dusty's busy teen life
YOU could spend hours sitting down with Dusty-Raiyn McIntyre about all of the clubs and organisations she’s involved in.
YOU could spend hours sitting down with Dusty-Raiyn McIntyre about all of the clubs and organisations she’s involved in.
All connected in some way with a purpose of being a voice and advocating for the youth in St Arnaud.
It’s all kept her quite busy over the last few years - despite “cutting back” this year to make room for her Year 12 studies.
But she says she wouldn’t change it for the world.
“I do it all because I enjoy it,” she said.
“If I can leave any kind of legacy, I want it to be creating a path for young people to be listened to.”
Being listened to and being heard is something Dusty-Raiyn was taught from a very young age.
As the youngest sibling of eight children, she said there was a lot of debating and meaningful conversations happening at home.
“My mum would always encourage us to speak our mind, especially if we didn’t agree with something,” she said.
“But it was always important to do it in a way that allowed you to get your point across in a respectful way.
“I really learnt a lot about myself in those years.”
It was those formative years that set Dusty-Raiyn up for her time in youth debating clubs, youth parliament and youth groups themselves.
But she soon realised these organisations were very metro-focused or not local enough.
“A friend and I joined the youth group in Stawell because it was the closest one we had,” she said.
“I remember sitting in each meeting thinking we could be doing this in St Arnaud.
“It was great being able to help where you can, but when you know all the issues arising at home, you can’t help but think of how you can take these ideas and initiatives and mould them into something that will work here.
“And even at Melbourne clubs, there’s a lot of focus on the city and nothing rural kids can relate to.
“And that’s when the seclusion and feeling of exclusion starts all over again.”
Since then, Dusty-Raiyn has been able to use her voice for good closer to home, meeting with clubs to show them how they can lend a hand to youth members of the community.
“Even on the day of our Youth Fest a few months ago, we had Lions and Rotary club members there, more than happy to help out where they could,” she said.
“It’s great to see that inter-generational connection we didn’t have for a long time.
“And that’s what it’s all about, forming a connection and making people feel like they are listened to and supported.
“There’s still a long way to go, but it’s progress.”
And while her future career path hasn’t quite come into focus just yet, Dusty-Raiyn has made up her mind on what she doesn’t want to do.
“I get so many people telling me I should become a politician,” she said. “And sometimes I think I could, but I think I have too strong a morals and I’m too subborn about them.”
But her struggles to decide hasn’t stopped her passion for helping others in the mean time.
“I want to get others to help us with this fight,” she said.
“It’s never been more important to be a part of it.”
Read More: St Arnaud