When tragedy struck, Quynhi had support to continue her education

“My mum was diagnosed with a brain tumour when I was 11, so it was really tough on my family and me. Being the eldest child, I had to step up and take on a lot of responsibilities at home, so school was no longer a priority,” said Learning for Life student, Quynhi, now aged 21.

“For many years after that I was playing catch up because of the amount of time I had taken off school. I missed out on a lot of learning opportunities that my peers had, such as excursions and camps, because of the limited family income we had.

“That’s why I’m so grateful to The Smith Family. Ever since they were involved in my life through the Learning for Life program, they have encouraged me to achieve my best. They have played an important role in my achievements by providing me with the resources and opportunities that I needed to become the first female in my family to attend university.

“That’s how I see it. But my mum feels that they allowed her to focus on her recovery while still being able to support her children to get the education that they deserved.”

The generosity of our supporters, sponsors and volunteers has meant the world to Quynhi. So she now looks for every opportunity to help other students in need.

“The Smith Family really inspired me to give back to my community. I’m studying a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy and have volunteered at a special needs school where I get to meet amazing children,” said Quynhi.

“I also work at Officeworks. I have really enjoyed being part of their Back to School Appeal (which also supports The Smith Family) this year. It’s so important that we all contribute in some small way to provide disadvantaged students like myself with the opportunity to explore and further their education.”

Read how sponsorship has helped other students like Quynhi.