Written by Elena Perse.
When she first started at Curtin in 2018, Jenevieve Zoghbi had no idea where she would find herself four years later. Moving from Port Hedland, over 1500 kilometres away from Perth, Jenevieve began her studies with the Curtin UniReady Enabling Program that helped her meet the admissions criteria to begin an undergraduate degree in Preclinical Human Biology.
At first, Jenevieve was keen to move away from Port Hedland and experience the excitement of the city, but as soon as she arrived in Perth, she realised how much she missed her home. As high school students, Jenevieve and all her friends dreamed of leaving their hometown to study in cities. However, when the time came, nearly all of them realised they didn’t want to leave and spent some time studying online instead. I arrived back in Perth yesterday, Jenevieve says, and I nearly booked a trip home two hours after I arrived because I just wanted to go back! Being so far from Port Hedland and the close-knit community that she loves so much was a real challenge for Jenevieve. Her co-workers at the JD Hardie Youth and Community Hub were always looking out for her – dropping off food if they knew she would be busy or buying her flowers just as a kind gesture. That would never happen in Perth! Jenevieve says. I mean, why would you want to leave?
What kept Jenevieve in the city though, was the quality of teaching and the facilities she could access on campus. One of her favourite things about studying in Perth is having 24-hour access to the Curtin Library and all its resources. Her positive experiences with Curtin’s tutors have also been a huge incentive to keep studying in Perth. It’s the tutors that keep me coming! Jenevieve enthuses. Otherwise, I would have stayed in Hedland and done it online, but being by yourself, waiting for emails to be answered was just not enough. You need the tutors in the flesh to help you and guide you. The support that Jenevieve has received throughout her time at Curtin has had a significant impact on her studies, and her goals for the future.
When she was a high school student in Port Hedland, Jenevieve often struggled with school and study, feeling like no matter what she did, she couldn’t make a difference to her grades. Despite having great teachers, she felt a different learning environment would better suit her needs. When she started at Curtin, and had access to a whole range of facilities, resources, and support from tutors and friends, her grades skyrocketed. It really just increased my confidence and my self-worth because I had that support, and it really showed in my grades, Jenevieve says.
Learning from her tutors and embracing her new-found confidence, Jenevieve decided that she wanted to pursue a path where she could offer regional primary school students the kind of support and assistance that she received at Curtin. After a year of Preclinical Human Biology, Jenevieve decided to switch degrees, realising that a Bachelor of Education (Primary Education) was the key to unlocking her true passion. Since then, Jenevieve’s degree allowed her to participate in a teaching placement in Port Hedland. It was here that she discovered a love for working with regional Indigenous students and inspiring them to pursue their academic potential.
While she acknowledges that moving to the city can be an intimidating idea, Jenevieve can’t recommend it enough. In her experience, studying in Perth unlocked a whole new perception of her own abilities and what she could achieve. As much as Jenevieve missed her friends and family, she credits university study with helping her realise her own capabilities and improving her self-confidence.
Living on campus was key to helping her acclimatise to life in the city and building a sense of belonging similar to Port Hedland. I really hit the jackpot; my housemates were so good to me! Jenevieve says. She and her housemates were like a close-knit family, gathering regularly to watch reality TV, and sharing a Christmas dinner together in November before heading home for the holidays. Jenevieve found that on-campus housing was a great place to meet people, with lots of students also coming from regional backgrounds. She enjoyed finding a sense of small-town kindness among the regional students in Perth and having people around who understood the homesickness that she sometimes felt.
Jenevieve’s final piece of advice for students moving from the country to the city is to apply for scholarships. After being hesitant to apply for merit-based scholarships, Jenevieve urges other regional students to give it a go: if I could get some, you can too! Making the most of her time studying in the city has helped Jenevieve unlock a new pathway for her future; she can’t wait to get back to Port Headland and put her skills to good use, teaching a new generation of regional students.