Samantha Peace identifies as a Kamilaroi and Baraba Baraba woman and is a recent graduate of UOW. Samantha was always encouraged to pursue higher education by her parents and after finding an interest in business studies in high-school, she decided to apply for a Bachelor of Commerce at UOW.
Moving from Nowra to attend UOW’s Wollongong campus, Samantha found that being away from her family soon became a challenge. The ongoing support she received from the university and the Woolyungah Indigenous Center [WIC] however, made her feel supported and a part of a community. Samantha states:
“I'm a big family person and felt stuck between two worlds for a while. Along the way these worlds began to feel a lot more connected, and I felt at ease here in Wollongong. I thank the community at the university for that...The connection and community WIC provides, specifically during the pandemic, when things felt so isolated, made all the difference. Even just a small check-in call or text before the start of session kept me motivated and connected to my degree.”
Taking part in ‘student life’ was also a major aspect of Samantha’s time at UOW. She encourages current and future students to step out of their comfort zone and take opportunities the University provides:
“It's amazing looking back at how much these small moments and opportunities define the journey.”
Samantha is currently employed by the University and in the future hopes to use her degree “to make a meaningful change.”