“If you believe in something so much and there’s something you really want in life, you have to go and grab it,” says Sofoni West – a student at Charles Sturt University (CSU) who, at age 31, is one of the first people in her family to enrol in undergraduate studies. “Now, I’m ready to go and grab my dream.”
West is a proud Aboriginal woman from the Nanima Mission in Wellington, NSW – one of the oldest continual missions in the state. She tells SBS her long-term career goal is to improve the health of people living in her community by working as a qualified pharmacist. One major stepping stone towards achieving that dream is studying a Bachelor of Pharmacy with CSU in Orange.
“As a future pharmacist, I want to play a role in closing the gap between the local Indigenous community and non-Indigenous people, and between the patient and health professionals,” she says.
“We’ve got people who are not taking medication properly and are constantly sick, always in and out of doctor’s clinics and the hospital. But with a Bachelor of Pharmacy and a job as a pharmacist, I’ll be able to apply my knowledge to help them.”
West explains that her path towards tertiary studies was unexpected. After she finished year 12, she never really dreamed of going to university. She applied for a job at the town pharmacy, where she’s been a happy and loyal employee for 11 years. West’s manager saw that she had potential to move up the ladder and help improve people’s health, so he encouraged West to aspire for a university education and become a qualified pharmacist.
“I was a pharmacy assistant. I started on the floor and was there for two years. I gradually did a certificate one, two then three in pharmacy [at TAFE] and ended up going into the dispensaries for prescriptions. Then, one day my boss said ‘Would you like to be become a pharmacist and go to university?’ I thought – I am pretty good at this job, so why not? I am very thankful that my boss he saw something in me – he believed I could go far.
“My sister was the first one in our family to ever go to university. I thought, ‘If my baby sister can do it, surely I can do it too’. Now, I want people in my community to look up to me as a role model and think, ‘If she can do it, I can do it: I can go to university one day too’.”
West started studying clinical science at CSU in 2014 and transferred to her current degree, a Bachelor of Pharmacy in 2016. To support her full-time study load, Sofoni continues to work full-time in her local pharmacy during session breaks.
West admits studying hasn’t always been easy, although it’s a challenge worth taking on.
“There were times where I wanted to quit because I just didn’t know how to study or understand the content but a lot of people – my boss, my mum, my close friends and my community – helped me.
“The staff at CSU have also been so supportive because you can always just knock on their door and ask for help. That has made a lot of difference to me – if I feel like I’m struggling and a teacher picks up on it, they come over to help me and are always willing to sit down and help me. I also have an Indigenous support worker who helped me to find a tutor, which has been amazing.
“These are all the people who have made me. They are the reason why I’m still here at university today.”
West now looks to encourage other prospective students who may have doubts to take the plunge, to reach their full academic potential and enrol in university: “Give it a go”.
“Studying is hard but there are a lot of people who can help you along the way to achieve what you set out for. Do it for yourself. Do it for your community and family. Stick it out and become something. By studying and working towards a career, you can touch people’s lives.”
Just like Sofoni you can create a better life for yourself, your family, your community, your world. Whatever your dream, Charles Sturt University can help you get there. Discover your passion and Start Now with more than 350 courses to choose from. Find out more by visiting CSU online.
