A dream, decades in the making

From a young age, Lily Caguimbaga knew nursing was her calling. Growing up in the Philippines as an only child in a close-knit, multigenerational home, she watched her parents and aunt care devotedly for her grandmother. Caring for her parents as they age has always been important to her, and those moments, Lily said, “shaped my heart to become a nurse”.  

After completing four years of nursing studies in Davao del Sur in the Philippines , Lily’s path to her dream career took an unexpected turn - a detour that would last more than a decade. She fell in love, became a mother, and soon faced financial pressures that left little room to pursue her professional goals. “I don’t come from a rich family,” she said. “I had to find a way to support my parents and my son.”  

Determined to build a better life, Lily left for Dubai in 2012, taking any job she could find. “My first job was as a food server – it was very difficult,” she said. Lily shared a small room with nine others, sending money home to her parents, who cared for her young son after her marriage broke down. In time, she found new love in Dubai with Jason, a partner who shared her dream of building a more secure future overseas.  

In Dubai, Lily balanced survival with aspiration – working long hours on low wages and covering her living expenses while exploring study options overseas. For several years she researched nursing pathways in Australia and Canada, but the cost of tuition made her nursing dream feel impossibly out of reach. “It took me five years to save enough money to leave Dubai,” she said. 

Australia only became possible after she found a trustworthy education agent and secured bank lending, which helped her meet the financial requirements for a visa. In 2018, after years of sacrifice and persistence, she finally obtained a student visa for Australia. Unable to immediately afford or qualify for nursing, Lily began an Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management in Queensland – the first step toward reigniting her dream. “It was so expensive,” she said. “But I told myself, this is the start of everything.”  

Six months later, her partner Jason joined her in Australia to study a Diploma of Leadership and Management, Lily had already secured work in aged care and taken on additional part-time shifts in disability support. 

Just as life began to settle, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The removal of work-hour limits for international students allowed her to work longer hours, providing financial stability, covering their tuition and living costs, and helping her start saving for nursing. This work would prove life-changing.  

“COVID was challenging, but fulfilling,” Lily said. “The aged care and disability work felt like what I was meant to do. It matched my values.”   

By 2022, after nearly five years of working and saving in Australia, Lily had enrolled in nursing, the same year she and Jason welcomed their newborn daughter, Aya. Her son Travis joined her from the Philippines the following year. “I don’t even know how I saved the money,” Lily said. “I just kept believing. If you dream something, dream big. I told myself, I have to do this, for my son, my partner and my daughter.”   

Still based in Queensland, Lily began searching for her next opportunity. She came across a position at Hillgrove House with Sapphire Coast Community Aged Care (SCCAC) in the Bega Valley. She researched every detail - the organisation, the town and the community. It was regional, close to a university, and a working visa there would allow her to study nursing, it felt like everything was finally aligning, Lily said. 

The Bega opportunity 

In the Bega Valley, the aged care sector was under immense pressure. COVID-19 had created a perfect storm with a growing ageing population, critical staff shortages and new pandemic-era requirements pushing local services to their limits.  

“In aged care, nothing actually stopped; people still needed 24-hour care,” Julie Evans, Chief Executive Officer of Sapphire Coast Community Aged Care, said.  

“We were relying heavily on agency staff. It was expensive, and there was no consistency for our residents.”  

_{Lily celebrated her special day with her family by her side.}

Determined to find a sustainable solution, SCCAC became one of the first single services in Australia to secure a Labour Workforce Agreement. This provided an avenue for recruitment of qualified international staff and an opportunity to work with UOW Bega Valley to develop pathways for training and career progression, opening doors for international recruits to live, work and study in the region. 

When Lily was offered a position through the program, she hesitated, unsure if it was genuine. “I just prayed it was the right path,” she said. That faith was rewarded. In November 2022, Lily, Jason and their six-month-old daughter packed their belongings into the family car and made the long drive south to Bega. The place where Lily’s dream would finally take root.  

Julie remembers the day they arrived, their car “piled to the roof” with everything they owned, full of optimism and commitment to this opportunity. 

The partnership that made it all possible  

When Lily walked into UOW Bega Valley in 2023 for her first day of nursing, it marked the beginning of a new chapter in a long journey. UOW Bega Valleys first international places became available for Batchelor of Nursing students.  Lily also became the first international student on a working visa to receive the University’s 30 per cent scholarship for healthcare professionals, support that allowed her to study full-time while continuing her aged care work at Hillgrove House.  

“Lily was the first brave soul who came to our campus and said, ‘I also have a dream to become a registered nurse’,” UOW Bega Valley campus manager Sam Avitaia said. “Even though she was working full-time and supporting family overseas, she wanted to study full-time, we were like ‘wow, we would love to help you do that’.” 

With the backing of both her employer and the University, Lily began a demanding routine. “My employer gave me a flexible roster so I could study during the day and work at night in the dementia wing,” Lily said. “There were no days off. I worked weekend shifts, and I saved my annual leave for my placements. I didn’t see the world for almost two years, but I was happy - at home, cooking, caring and studying, surrounded by my family.” 

Her story is one of the first results of a partnership that is reshaping aged care education across the region. UOW Bega Valley and SCCAC have built two key pathways to support people into nursing: the Certificate IV traineeship program with UOW College and the Labour Workforce Agreement that brought Lily to Bega. Together, these initiatives give local and international workers the chance to study while earning a wage and gaining hands-on experience.  

This week, Lily Caguimbaga became UOW Bega Valley’s first international student to graduate with a Bachelor of Nursing, completing three years of study while maintaining full-time employment. She delivered the Vote of Thanks to the graduating class.  

For both Sam Avitaia and SCCAC Chief Executive Officer Julie Evans, Lily’s graduation marks the success of a partnership that has strengthened with every new student.  

“Lily has been incredibly positive the whole way through,” Julie said. “Balancing full-time work, being a mum, and managing placements, she has done an amazing job.”   

Lily’s determination has already inspired others. “After Lily, more students came – people she met at work or in the community,” Sam said. “Our classrooms have become spaces for shared global experiences. You can see the impact across Bega, from new restaurants and community events to inspiring the next generation, including Lily’s own son, who hopes to study nursing in the future.” 

_{SCCAC Chief Executive Officer Julie Evans at the graduation ceremony.}

SSCAC has also worked to help international staff settle into the community. “We helped organize housing, furniture and welcome packs for staff with the support of our local Rotary clubs and the broader Community” Julie said. “Without these partnerships, we would have had to close beds. Instead, we’ve been able to grow our own nurses – people who understand aged care and our community – and that’s incredibly special. From little things, big things grow.”  

What began with one student’s ambition has now become a community movement - connecting education, opportunity, and care in ways that continue to enrich the Far South Coast. 

Time to celebrate 

Surrounded by friends, colour and laughter, international students led by Lily opened the graduation ceremony on Wednesday 21 January at the Bega Valley Civic Centre with a cultural dance. Initially planned as a traditional Filipino dance, it evolved into an inclusive multicultural performance for their proud families – including Lily’s parents, who had unexpectedly arrived from the Philippines for a three-month visit. Their presence made the moment deeply meaningful for Lily. 

A dream that had been stirring inside Lily since childhood had finally come true. Lily and her family are now seeking permanent residency in Australia. Lily hopes to stay in the Bega region, continue her work there and support future nurses through the same pathway. For Lily, her graduation isn’t just the end of a long road – it’s proof of what’s possible when a community comes together to support a dream.