Gunnedah youth set on nursing can now apply for a new round of NSW government scholarships.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Carla Douglas and Leah Broekman are both eligible for the scholarships and starting university this year.
Carla will take on a three-year Bachelor of Nursing at the University of Newcastle after taking a gap year to save up.
She has been working three jobs, nannying for a local family, cooking at ChatterChinos, and helping with Gunnedah Family Support’s outreach playgroup program because “I wanted to be able to support myself when I left home”.
“I have applied for some scholarships as I believe the financial support from them would be extremely helpful,” she said.
“Not only do they assist with purchasing required educational resources, they can also help with accommodation costs and adjustments from living away from home. This would allow me to further my study in my degree, giving me more access to better knowledge with no boundaries.
“Scholarships are also very beneficial in the sense that they motivate students to continue to achieve and strive for high results and therefore be rewarded with less financial burden.”
When Carla has completed her course, she would like to work in regional and remote areas to assist “individuals who do not have access to better health services and facilities, generally found in the city”.
“I believe there is a strong demand for good quality nurses within this region and as we are a growing and ageing population, the demand will continue to grow with stress on a poor nurse-to-patient ratio,” she said.
“I am determined to make this difference.”
Fellow former St Mary’s student Leah Broekman is also pursuing nursing this year through the University of New England but will study online.
She will start a Bachelor of Nursing in February and hopes to specialise in midwifery.
“My career path has always changed but I did Australian Army Cadets and we used to do a lot of first-aid scenarios and I was always interested in it and I really enjoyed biology at school and the health side of PE,” Leah said.
"It was the one thing that I stuck to. I thought, ‘This is something I really want to do’.”
Leah has also been saving up for university and recently moved out of home.
“I try and pick up as many shifts at KFC as I can,” she said.
“Any people who are going to support themselves through uni, I highly recommend a gap year. Putting your head down, working and saving every penny.
“It is hard at uni. The majority of kids are by themselves. You’re on your own and that’s the reality of things.”
