UJ STUDENT HEALTH AND WELLNESS STUDENT GUIDE 38 BOLD MOVES Leaving Home, Finding Purpose: A UJ Graduate’s Australian Dream Growing up in Madadeni, KwaZulu Natal, I never knew where I would end up. My name is Zinhle, and I never envisioned that this is where my life would take me. I was raised by a single mother. My mother worked as a domestic worker to take care of us. I did well in high school, but I wasn’t sure what studies I wanted to pursue when I applied to university. With the help of a community guidance advisor, I was encouraged to look into Applied Maths and similar subjects. I started my studies at the University of Johannesburg in 2012, pursuing a BSc in Mathematical Sciences after failing out at a different university. In my first year, I was self-funded and living in Soweto. It was difficult, but I was managing. In October 2012, I went to Campus Health Services because I was experiencing constant headaches. I saw Sr. Dzivhu. Her treatment was so holistic that she realised I might be depressed due to financial issues. She helped me apply for a student assistant job at CHS, and that’s how I met the people who would become my family for four years My work at CHS went beyond being a student assistant; I gained a great deal of professional training that I couldn’t have achieved without this opportunity. Sr. Geya became my mentor and helped nurture my talent in data analytics. She is still the person I reach out to when I need to make a decision. I also learned a lot about administrative work from Miss Lerato Mogodi, Mrs. Wendy Smith, and Mrs. Marlene Klaaste. I received such a holistic experience that touched not only my professional life but also my personal life. As I started my career as a data specialist, I always looked back on how my first data analytics project was gaining insights from the patient satisfaction survey. This is the experience I carry with me every day. My career has progressed in ways I couldn’t have imagined. I’ve worked for two of the major banks in South Africa and have amassed a wealth of experience. In 2021, I decided to move to Australia. My motivation for this move was better compensation, career advancement, and a higher quality of life. The visa application process was lengthy due to COVID restrictions. In December 2023, I made the move to Australia. I am currently working as a Reporting and Data Analyst.
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