Samantha Peace identifies as a Kamilaroi and Baraba Baraba woman and is a recent graduate of UOW. Samantha was always encouraged to pursue higher education by her parents and after finding an interest in business studies in high-school, she decided to apply for a Bachelor of Commerce at UOW.
Moving from Nowra to attend UOW鈥檚 天美传媒 campus, Samantha found that being away from her family soon became a challenge. The ongoing support she received from the university and the Woolyungah Indigenous Center [WIC] however, made her feel supported and a part of a community. Samantha states:
鈥�I'm a big family person and felt stuck between two worlds for a while. Along the way these worlds began to feel a lot more connected, and I felt at ease here in 天美传媒. I thank the community at the university for that...The connection and community WIC provides, specifically during the pandemic, when things felt so isolated, made all the difference. Even just a small check-in call or text before the start of session kept me motivated and connected to my degree.鈥�
Taking part in 鈥榮tudent life鈥� was also a major aspect of Samantha鈥檚 time at UOW. She encourages current and future students to step out of their comfort zone and take opportunities the University provides:
鈥�It's amazing looking back at how much these small moments and opportunities define the journey.鈥�
Samantha is currently employed by the University and in the future hopes to use her degree 鈥�to make a meaningful change.鈥�