“I came to Australia in 2009 to undertake a Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics degree at The University of Newcastle. The four years of my course were life-changing. I was finally studying what I’d always wanted to do, I made some lifelong friends, and I even met my now-husband my very first weekend in Australia! I was lucky enough to find work as a research assistant in nutrition and physical activity with the University of Newcastle when I was in the final year of my degree. This turned into full-time work after I graduated, and two months ago an opportunity came up in Tamworth, a country town in NSW.

“I now work as a Research Dietitian on a study looking at the origins of kidney disease in Aboriginal Australians. My role is to collect dietary intake data and anthropometric measurements of participating mums and babies in the study, as well as promoting healthy eating in an ArtsHealth programme. A typical day could involve taking diet recalls from mums, measuring wriggly babies, creating art while talking about healthy food, and working on research papers. I love my job so much I am currently applying for scholarships to do a PhD in this area… fingers crossed!”