Tell us a little bit about yourself and your achievements to date.
I am passionate about making a change in my country, and I feel that making an impact through education is the best way to do this. I have been awarded the Paraguayan Government BECAL Scholarship to study at The University of Melbourne to help build greater human capacity in Paraguay. While studying at the University of Melbourne I got involved in many volunteering activities, with local and international students and the broader community of Victoria. I have been the President of the Paraguayan Student Association. Thanks to this involvement I have been awarded with the Leaders in Communities Awards 2021 by The University of Melbourne. Moreover, I have also been awarded with the “Bank First MGSE Award” for 2021. This award is granted to a student at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education to celebrate their voluntary contributions. I have completed a Master of Education, specialising in Leadership and Management in July 2021.
What are your goals for the future?
My goal for the future is to use the knowledge provided by my two degrees, Law and Master of Education, to delve into leadership position, this being in public, private or NGOs. By doing this, I would like to train teachers to become better practitioners, share the knowledge acquired in Australia and apply them to help create policies to improve the education system of Paraguay.
How have you gone about making new friends and building your networks in Victoria?
As soon as I arrived in Melbourne, I took interest in joining clubs and students associations that were aligned to my interests and background. However, I also went beyond my comfort zone to experience new things. I signed in for every volunteering opportunity within the University and got involved in my community.
One of the things I gained by volunteering is that I met people in my community who I might have not normally connected with. I also see it as the best way to strengthen my ties to the local community from which I am part of. Volunteering in Australia has allowed me to be active and engaged in my local and global communities. It is essential for me to be involved with the people around me, and by doing so, my support network has broadened, which was essential for me as an international student who is far from family and friends.
Do you have any words of advice or encouragement for students who are thinking about studying in Victoria?
If you are seeking to pursue higher education, I encourage you to come to Victoria. By choosing Victoria, you will experience being part of the best international student community. You don’t need to travel around the globe to experience multiculturalism as Victoria has it all. Moreover, Victoria offers continued support to international students, and this has been proven during the COVID-19 pandemic when the city provided with food relief, market vouchers, webinars related to visas and even emergency grants for international students who lost their jobs due to the pandemic.
You will never be bored in Melbourne, there is always something to do, new food to taste, sports to play, live music and art to enjoy and much more!