Shwe Chun has grown up in a house committed to healing and helping.

Shwe’s parents Twey Nyo Linn and Chit Sin Chun were healers in their country of birth, Myanmar, and continued to help members of their Karen community after they sought refuge in an UN-run refugee camp in Thailand and when they later found a home in Australia.

This week Shwe’s hopes of following in her parent’s footsteps of care and healing were formally realised, when she graduated with a Diploma of Nursing through Mater Education.

“I have grown up seeing my parents help people and I wanted to take the opportunities available to me in Australia to become a nurse so I too could help people,” Shwe said.

“We are Karen people from Myanmar, but my family spent 10 years living in the UN Refugee Camp Umpien in Thailand where my parents helped the community with their cultural medicine.”

“Since moving to Australia when I was seven, my mother has continued to provide massage and treatments to the Karen community, so a career in health care seemed a good fit for me.” 

Shwe began her Diploma of Nursing through Mater Education in 2020 after getting a taste for her chosen career by completing a Certificate II in Health Support Services and a Certificate III in Health Services Assistance through Mater Education during her final years at Kedron State High School. 

“I am a person who learns best by doing and seeing. From my previous study with Mater Education I knew the style of teaching offered by the Diploma of Nursing at Mater Education worked for me,” she said.

“I like studying in the simulated study environment because it’s very practical, and I feel very confident learning this way. The Educators were very helpful in every single way. They are always available at any time.”

Shwe said she was the first child in her family to have the opportunity to achieve a Diploma.

“I was really excited to wear a gown and hat in front of my parents. I was really happy that the I could make their wishes come true,” she said. 

“I really enjoyed the study I have already undertaken and am excited about now working towards my Degree in Nursing.

 “I think nursing is a very good career for someone like me. I like people and I love helping others. I’m now really looking forward to using all the skills I’ve learned during my diploma in a nursing role in a hospital – where I can hopefully help patients heal."