"A life of being on a constant roller-coaster ride and you learn to pick yourself up and keep going," said Miss Macnaught, who had a difficult time as a teenager and was on the verge of quitting school at 15.

The aspiring actress attributes her new, positive outlook to Kathy Madell, a highly successful corporate banker who became her "big sister" at just the right time four years ago.

"Kathy is such a successful person [despite] the struggles she faced growing up, having a baby young with no degree, and then studying and raising a kid. Now she's this huge vice-president of a bank," Miss Macnaught said.

"That makes me want to be on top as well."

Had the pair never met through a year-long mentoring program for vulnerable teenage girls, Miss Macnaught doubts she would have finished school or discovered acting.

For 11 years the SISTER2sister project has paired abused or neglected young girls with positive female role models.

Although the program has plenty of success stories – so far 375 girls have graduated –  the head of the project, Jessica Brown, said it did not have  enough money to support all the girls nominated for the program.

"We receive hundreds of phone calls each month from services in all states of Australia wishing to nominate girls," she said.

Despite girls are often being referred to the program by government agencies such as police domestic violence units, the department of community services and school counsellors, it receives no government assistance.

Miss Brown anticipates more than 100 applications for the 2015 program in Sydney, but without more funding only 50 girls could be accommodated.

"The frustrating thing is we've got girls in need and people who want to be mentors. What we lack is the funding to take on the number of girls who are nominated for our program," she said.

The project relies on donations from individuals, corporations and philanthropists. With more money the project could expand to other states.

Miss Brown said girls were two to three times more likely to be abused or neglected than boys and many in the program had experienced trauma, abuse, mental health issues, were living in poverty, or had parents or close family with drug or alcohol addictions.

"The program helps the girls deal with the pain of their past, put their life back together, overcome obstacles and focus on their future," said Miss Brown, the founder and CEO of Life Changing Experiences Foundation.

"We know this works, we know this breaks the cycle of abuse and neglect," she said.

Many graduates have gone on to complete school, attend university or become the first member of their family to hold down a job.

Throughout the year the "sisters" keep in regular contact and attend monthly workshops, where the girls learn life skills such as grief management, personal hygiene and budgeting.

Mrs Madell said it was amazing to witness the transformation of Miss Macnaught and the other little sisters.

"When I went into it, I thought it was going to be me giving more, but I didn't expect to get as much back as I have," she said.

Although the mentorship runs for a year, the girls forge life-long bonds with their mentors and continued to receive support, such as help finding jobs and accommodation, once they had finished, said Miss Brown.

"We've created a big family."