"I was born and raised in the Illawarra in a large family with majority working in the transport industry as mechanics or drivers.
My journey to university was quite intimidating, as it is daunting being the first to navigate an unfamiliar path, but I was always encouraged to dedicate myself to my goals, and this was the path that my love for science and the human body was taking me.
I am now currently in my third year of a Bachelor of Medical and Health Sciences (Honours)(Dean's Scholar) and loving every moment of it.
When I was deciding what to do when I left high school, I quickly realised it is more important to strive to be the best possible ‘you’ - doing something that you're interested in, rather than to allow pondering the what-ifs to consume the rest of your life. I stuck with that mindset through every barrier that I faced and continue to live by it as I decide what is next after university."
How did you find the experience of being first in your immediate family to go to university?
"If I’m to be honest, it was extremely overwhelming during the lead up to and during my first session. University is a completely different system to high school and I personally felt lost without the close community that you experience at school. It is hard when your family are the people who you turn to for advice but they have not experienced it. I quickly realised that UOW provides support services for everything that you are concerned about and all you have to do is ask!
During my time here at UOW, my main goal has been to give back as I have been involved in programs that allow me to use my skills gained from my degree to facilitate equitable access to all students wishing to study.
I want to continue to make a difference using my love for science – so at the moment my career goal is to become an occupational therapist, as well as continuing to research."