When Noa Woolloff first unintentionally announced to New Zealand he was juggling being a teen dad and head-boy it was mainly condescension and judgment from the public. Now it's all love and admiration.
Woolloff has responded on social media after an outpouring of support for his example to other teen parents, after he again garnered attention on TVNZ Duke's The Inside Word over the weekend.
Read more: 'People said I can't lead a school' – Head boy teen dad proves the haters wrong
"Thank you all for the messages. First up, full on credit and love to my daughter's mother who works extremely hard as an almost full time Mum and is raising her into a beautiful little human," he wrote on the 1 NEWS Facebook page.
"I hope my story can impact not just other teen parents, but anybody that feels held back from a label, stigma or stereotype that is hanging over their head. It doesn't matter what patch of dirt you are born from, your age, skin colour, culture or appearance. Stand proud and do you!
"I've copped a lot of hate from the general public and listened to people who don't know a thing about me, tell me that I've let down myself, my family and my daughter. Instead of keeping my head down, I did my best to keep it up."
Woolloff made headlines in 2016 as head-boy at Wellington's Aotea College, when he was plastered on the front page of the NZ Herald as a teen dad juggling both roles.
His appearance on Duke over the weekend again raised the issue of teen parenting, and an article on the 1 NEWS NOW site covering his appearance has had a huge response online.
Hundreds of people have commented on the article about Woolloff since it was posted to the 1 NEWS Facebook page this morning.
"A young man stepped up and took on his responsibility of being a parent. How is that not a role model to others who find themselves in the same situation," one person commented.
"True Leaders come at such a young age. You're an inspirational Leader Noa, to your piers at School, your work colleagues, your daughter, your friends and whanau. I wish you and your daughter all the best through both your journey in life❣," another wrote.
Many of those commenting shared their own, and their children's experiences of becoming parents as teenagers.
"My son is 18 in July, his daughter will be 2. He's deputy headboy at his school, works night shift, pays his way and does a lot more than half the kids his age," one commenter revealed.
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