I am an Occupational Therapy student at Griffith University, balancing study, placement, and family life as a Mum of three. My experiences, both personally and professionally, have shaped a strong sense of resilience, perspective, and purpose in the way I approach my work.

I have lived across NSW and SEQ, with the opportunity to spend time in remote, rural, and urban communities. Those experiences have given me a unique lens on the world and a deeper understanding of how context, access, and environment shape people’s lives. I’ve also lived overseas completing humanitarian work, which further broadened my perspective and reinforced my commitment to meaningful, people-centred work.

I am someone who values growth, reflection, and doing things properly. I take pride in being reliable, thoughtful, and able to see both the bigger picture and the small details that matter. I’m drawn to work that has real impact, whether that’s supporting individuals directly or contributing to broader, system-level change.

Alongside my studies, I tutor and mentor First Nations students, which has strengthened my commitment to advocacy, equity, and culturally responsive practice.

At my core, I’m grounded, driven, and people-focused. I care about doing meaningful work, showing up well for others, and continuing to grow into a professional who makes a genuine difference.

I will contribute to improving Indigenous health by providing care that is culturally safe, strengths-based, and grounded in genuine partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. I recognise that health outcomes are shaped not only by clinical care, but by history, access, trust, and the broader social and cultural determinants of health.

Having lived across NSW and Queensland in remote, rural, and urban communities, as well as completing humanitarian work overseas, I bring a broad perspective on how context shapes health and access to care. These experiences have reinforced the importance of flexible, responsive, and community-informed practice.

I also bring the perspective of being a mother who has had to navigate complex health systems on behalf of my child. I understand the constant juggle, the need to advocate, and the difference between care that feels supportive versus care that feels dismissive or fragmented. This has shaped how I approach communication, continuity, and respect in healthcare.

In practice, I prioritise listening, building trust, and working collaboratively with individuals, families, and communities. I am committed to ongoing learning from Indigenous voices and working alongside Aboriginal health workers and community leaders to ensure my practice is culturally responsive and appropriate.

Beyond individual care, I aim to advocate for more equitable systems by addressing barriers to access and supporting community-led approaches. I want to contribute to healthcare environments where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples feel heard, respected, and empowered in their care.

The first six months of this year have felt like a turning point. After several years of lectures, assignments and placements, I can finally see the finish line. That has been both exciting and a little daunting. Rather than simply trying to get through each semester, I’ve found myself reflecting on the kind of occupational therapist I want to become and where this degree might take me.

One of the biggest highlights was completing my paediatric placement. It gave me the opportunity to work alongside experienced clinicians and see first-hand the impact occupational therapy can have on children and their families. Watching children achieve goals that had once seemed out of reach, and seeing the joy those moments brought to parents, reinforced why I chose this profession in the first place. It also challenged me to continue developing my clinical reasoning, communication and confidence, particularly when working with children who each had very different strengths, needs and personalities.

This semester has also been one of exploration. As graduation draws closer, I’ve started thinking more seriously about the many pathways available after university. Rather than feeling pressure to have everything mapped out, I have embraced being open to where my career may lead. Whether that’s clinical practice, leadership, advocacy, policy, further study or opportunities I have not yet considered, I have realised there are countless ways to make a meaningful contribution as an occupational therapist. That shift in perspective has been both exciting and motivating.

Outside of university, life certainly has not slowed down. I’m still balancing studying with raising three young children alongside my husband, serving as the Young Women President at church to over 40 girls, tutoring through Griffith’s Gumurrii Student Success Unit, and contributing as the student representative on the Deadly Curriculum Working Group and the Griffith OT student association. There have been days when it felt like every part of my life needed me at once, and finding balance hasn’t always been easy. Like many student parents, there were moments when I questioned whether I was doing enough in any one role. Looking back, though, I’ve realised I don’t need to do everything perfectly, I just need to keep showing up and giving it a go.

The second half of the year also brings my final placement in community mental health and addiction recovery, an area that feels well outside my comfort zone. If I’m honest, that uncertainty has been one of the biggest personal challenges this semester. At the same time, I know that the experiences that stretch us are often the ones that shape us the most. Instead of seeing that placement with fear, I am choosing to see it as an opportunity to grow, learn and become a more well-rounded clinician.

Overall, the first half of this year has reminded me how much I have grown, not just academically, but personally. I have become more confident in my abilities, more comfortable with uncertainty, and more excited about the possibilities that lie ahead. While I do not know exactly where my career will take me after graduation, I do know that this degree has equipped me with the resilience, curiosity and commitment to keep learning wherever that journey leads.