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Zahra's Story

My cadetship is amazing. It’s given me a better understanding about my future career, which helps me perform better at university.

Helping a university student transition to the workforce

Ten years ago it would have been impossible for me to imagine what I’ve achieved.”

“I was born in Afghanistan and we fled to Pakistan to escape the war. But with little to look forward to there, we came to Australia when I was 11 years old.

“With the support of The Smith Family I dreamt big and now I’m studying a Bachelor of Biomedical Engineering.

“My parents worked hard for us to have a better future, and they’re so happy for the opportunities that we now have.

“The Smith Family’s Cadetship to Career program has given me opportunities I could never have anticipated. The program gives young adults like me a head start in the workplace before we finish university. It provides work experience with challenges to overcome, and that makes a huge difference to our lives.

“The program offers networking events for us to attend, which is where I made the connection with my employer, biomedical company Cochlear.

“My cadetship is amazing. It’s given me a better understanding about my future career, which helps me perform better at university. It expands on my university learnings in a workplace environment while allowing me to network and see what types of jobs there are in the industry.

“It’s a great feeling, looking forward to everyday learning in a workplace and working with people in the industry. I’m always learning from the mentors, who are there to help me reach my potential. “My dream career is to work with medical technology design or fixing prosthetics like artificial limbs.”

— Zahra, 20, student.