Marie’s Story

God gave me a reason to better my life and I became a mother at 20 years old.

Since then I have fought hard to let go of the past. Raising my daughter on my own, we struggled but I managed to protect and provide for her. Somehow, I broke the cycle and managed to get her on the other side.

In 2012, I decided to become a nurse. Whilst getting my daughter through high school, I wanted to take my childhood back. As I never got to finish my education, I went to 9 primary schools and did not finish high school. Attaining my Diploma of Nursing opened the door to my enrolment in the Bachelor of Nursing at Federation University.

My bachelor’s degree is not just a degree, it stands for everything that I was told “I’d never reach”. When I am nursing a patient, I get a double dose of Oxytocin. It gives my life purpose and reminds me that I deserve to finish my degree. I have invested years into this. To some it may be as simple as a “no biggie”, to me it is about reclaiming my life while helping others.

Finishing my degree is my fight song.