John Moi is not your ‘conventional’ university graduate. Armed with the belief that learning is an ageless pursuit, at age 64 Moi certainly defies the young tertiary student stereotype.
“I am in my 60s, so it’s not been easy to study,” says Moi, the Charles Sturt University (CSU) alumnus, who recently completed a Master of Social Work. “The last time I was in a classroom before I enrolled in this course was in 1993. I’ve had to start all over again, and at my age that can be hard.
“But I love knowledge and learning new things. I have always grown through an understanding that education is for life. You can never say you have learned enough, because life is full of learning through and through – from the classroom to the way we associate with others, going to seminars and through our entire working [lives].”
Moi is proof that age is no barrier to pursuing your passion through further education. The former Christian minister and Sudanese refugee maintains just as much personal drive to achieve now as he did during his studies – perhaps enough to rival some younger peers.
“We all want to reach the pinnacle of our career. For me, I wanted to do a Master of Social Work, as you know that with a master’s [degree], one has reached the pinnacle of learning.
“So it’s a great feeling to have graduated.”
But Moi’s recently acquired tertiary qualification is not his first. He came to Australia with his four children and wife in 2006 as a humanitarian entrant from Sudan (now known as South Sudan) with a Diploma in Theology, gained in Africa, and a Master of Divinity from the United States.
The Wagga Wagga resident soon completed a Certificate IV in Human Resources at TAFE, “which helped me to get into university in Australia”. Then, in 2010, Moi enrolled in a Master of Social Work at CSU.
The mature-aged student studied part-time online for six years, while working initially as an education support officer for NSW Department of Education and, later, a mental health support worker.
“Having been a minister in the church, I’ve always worked with people on both social and spiritual matters. So I found that my experience as a minister helped me to relate easily to people in the mental health and social work sectors.”
Right now Moi is actively pursuing a few career leads. He tells SBS he aspires to gain employment in the local mental health sector, although his CSU postgraduate qualifications in social work enable him to seek out opportunities in child protection, disability, refugee and asylum seeker, health, mental health and aged care services.
But why does Moi, who is close to retirement age, want to continue working? He explains that having only immigrated to Australia on a humanitarian visa with his wife and four children in 2006, he needs to spend a few more years in paid employment to secure a positive and financially stable future for his family.
“If I was in Africa, I would be thinking of retiring now but in this [social] context [in Australia], you have to work hard to prepare for your retirement.”
As Moi sees it, if you’ve got to work, you may as well focus on doing something you love – and for him, that’s serving others.
“You may appreciate that along the line, there is a calling to some of us. I was one of the people who experienced that calling and so [initially] I ended up working in the church.
“But what brought me to work directly in social work [in Australia] was that I wanted to work with people on a daily basis, and not just on a Sunday.”
No matter how Moi’s future now pans out, one thing is for certain: he will always spend time assisting others.
“I have an interest in working with people,” he says. “I just want to support them and help them in their time of need.”
Just like John Moi, 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.
