Mother-of-three Indah Wahyuni has overcome plenty of trials on her way to becoming a qualified nurse.
Ms Wahyuni, originally from Indonesia, was one of 65 graduates who celebrated the completion of a degree on Tuesday during a University of Wollongong (UOW) graduation ceremony.
The graduation ceremony was held at Tradies Gymea recognising UOW’s Loftus campus students.
Bachelor of Nursing graduates made up the bulk of the ceremony while Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Commerce (Event Management) graduates also received their degrees.
Nursing graduate Ms Wahyuni, who lives in Rockdale, has already landed a nursing job at St George Hospital with a focus on aged care.
“My preference is aged care. In my culture, we look after our parents and usually take care of our elderly at home. I look at Australia and surprisingly aged care is the lowest preference for students,” she said.
Ms Wahyuni moved to Australia in 2010, with two children, to be with her second husband.
However, the couple split a few years later and she was left to care for her three children as a solo mum – one of whom has a physical disability.
With the support of Dress for Success Sydney, Ms Wahyuni was able to get back on her feet.
They assisted her with interview preparation, provided her with corporate clothing, encouraged her to find work and to continue her education.
“They helped me to find independence and focus on money management, which was great as I was trying to help provide for my family.
“When I first came into the program, I applied for a job in home care and became a carer assistant for elderly and disabled people. I really enjoyed this area of work and decided I wanted to become a nurse.”
After completing a Certificate IV in Aged Care and Diploma of Dementia Care in 2014, Ms Wahyuni successfully gained entry into the University of Wollongong’s Bachelor of Nursing.
Ms Wahyuni is no stranger to study, having previously obtained a chemistry degree in 1996.
She said she was proud of her achievements and hoped her children would benefit from her choices.
“Hopefully I will become a role model for my children who are now 15, 12, and 7.
“I don’t have family here, it’s just me. My son has disabilities so if I can do this, anyone can.”