16 Aug 2024
When Emily Behrendt was first told that she was going to be nominated for a Victorian Training Award she could not have anticipated how rewarding it would feel to have her hard work recognised.
Now that she has been named as one of three finalists competing for the title of Victoria’s Koorie Student of the Year, she is filled with a great sense of personal accomplishment and pride.
“I haven’t had the best childhood and I had some really rough stages, so just pursuing nursing was a big enough step,” Emily said.
“I also had to overcome a lot during my two years; financial issues, the loss of my grandparents, and a car accident during placement.
“I’m proud that I was able to overcome each of these and come out the other end, and now being a finalist is even bigger.”
The Victorian Training Awards gala will be held in August and is admittedly unlike anything Emily has ever experienced before.
“I’m quite nervous but mostly I’m excited to attend the gala, that is a big achievement in and of itself,” Emily said.
“Everyone who has made it this far is so deserving of winning. This experience is more about personal growth for me, so I don’t need to win to be proud of where I’ve come from.”
SuniTAFE Qualifications Change Lives
During her time at the Swan Hill campus, Emily engaged with a range of SuniTAFE’s support services to help her successfully complete her course.
“My time at SuniTAFE really was unreal,” she said.
“Everything from my amazing teachers who worked in the field and brought their expertise into the classroom, to the advice and kindness of the Koorie Liaison Officer, and the scholarships that SuniTAFE helped me to get. I would not be here without them.”
Obtaining a qualification and becoming a nurse has been a life changing experience for Emily, giving her both a sense of fulfilment and security.
“I have always dreamed of helping people, and in nursing I can do that,” she said.
“I go home every day feeling really rewarded. Healthcare is so important because it makes life better for people. Not always having access to care as a child makes it extra fulfilling to help others in a way that I was not helped.
“The people around me are very proud of where I’ve come from, knowing my background and history, they say it’s inspirational in some ways to be where I am now.
It feels extra special to be working in Kerang, the same small community where I grew up.”
Something in The Water at Kerang District Health
Emily is following in the footsteps of her colleague Pearl Dunn, a SuniTAFE graduate who was named winner of Victoria’s Koorie Student of the Year in 2023.
Emily and Pearl both work at Kerang District Health (KDH). The small community hospital is committed to protecting, restoring, and enhancing health for the Kerang district.
“Pearl has been a mentor in my life,” Emily said.
“She’s been continually involved in the community and has inspired me to do the same. She’s one heck of a woman and I’m so lucky to have her by my side. To learn from her has been great.”
Emily will learn if she will be named this year’s Koorie Student of the Year on 30 August.
SuniTAFE is proud to provide highly skilled nurses for both Mildura and Swan Hill, as well as their neighbouring towns. Click here to read about Pearl Dunn’s award success in 2023 and see for yourself the impact that nursing training is having on the town of Kerang.
Or, to see a range of health and community courses available to study at SuniTAFE, click here.