London, Jul 13 (IANS): Singer Cheryl Cole says she can relate to today's youth and wants to show disadvantaged kids that they can follow their dreams and escape their surroundings.

"I had a tough upbringing and didn't have many privileges as a child. I classed that as normal because it was all I'd ever known. I know what disadvantaged young people go through. I understand it. I get it," femalefirst.co.uk quoted Cole as saying.

The 29-year-old Cole thinks she is a positive role model for teenagers because she fought the odds to make a success of her singing career, and now wants to encourage young people to stay in school and develop their passions.

"A lot of young people don't have focus and they don't know what they are going to do with their lives. If I hadn't had a dream, I could have gone off the rails and I could have had a very, very different life."

"I had a horrible time as a teenager and wasn't very confident. Between the ages of 16 and 18, I was also in a horrible relationship. If I hadn't had a love for music, I could have gone down a different path and become lost," she said.