Gregory Smith, an Academic at Southern Cross University and recipient of the Order of Australia, shares his remarkable journey of overcoming a troubled childhood marked by abuse and homelessness. He vividly recalls his decade as a hermit in a northern NSW forest, where he mastered survival techniques while grappling with his past. Gregory discusses the emotional scars from his time in orphanages, the challenges of misdiagnosis, and how he transformed trauma into strength, ultimately finding academic success and a place in society.