Tamanah had a long path to university. Her parents moved from Afghanistan, a place where there are significant barriers to a girl's education, and the ongoing war made her family fear for their safety. Tamanah’s mother had once held dreams of becoming a doctor – but the cultural expectations for women made the prospect of university impossible.
Together, her parents made the courageous decision to move to a place where the opportunities were greater.
“My mum loved biomedicine, biology and chemistry, but because of the war in Afghanistan, she lost her chance. She wanted to give me the opportunity to study something I’m passionate about.”
But the relocation to Australia wasn’t just a physical move, it required a complete shift in mindset.
“At first, we had no community to support us, and as a young schoolgirl, I struggled to fit in. I was the first in my family to apply for university, and the uncertainty was daunting. There was no one I could ask for advice.”
But her mother encouraged her. Together, they discovered orthoptics, an area of study specialising in the diagnosis of eye disorders. Finding a university course she was passionate about not only sparked her interest, it also gave Tamanah the opportunity to honour her mother’s stolen dreams.
Yet, the journey to university was far from straightforward. Tamanah faced significant obstacles on her path to university, not least being able to afford the course fees as an international student.
“I wasn’t able to secure financial assistance from the government to afford university. Despite my dad working tirelessly at two jobs, the savings they had painstakingly put aside for me fell short of what was needed.”
Then came the unexpected news of her scholarship —a moment of disbelief and overwhelming gratitude.
“It wasn’t just ‘unbelievable’. It was that I couldn’t believe it. I can’t even tell you the number of times I reread the email just to make sure I wasn’t going crazy. I told my mum, and she called me her treasure”.
The La Trobe Scholarship Fund provides scholarships to both domestic and international students who urgently need financial support to start or continue their studies. All donations are tax deductible and 100% of all gifts go directly to students.
Now in her second year of studies, Tamanah hopes to inspire other Afghan girls to pursue their dreams at La Trobe, a university that celebrates and embraces diversity.
“I'm trying to show to the other girls like me that it's 100% okay to study. I know for some Muslim girls in my course it took a lot of convincing with their parents to get here. But I’m the proof. It’s okay to be cautious, it’s okay to be protective but sometimes you’ve got to take that leap of faith”.
To those who generously donated to her scholarship, Tamanah's gratitude knows no bounds. Their support has not only transformed her life but also her family and community.
“I don't think I would have gone to university without the scholarship. It’s made me happy, it’s made my family happy, it’s become a beacon of hope for us. It not only put a smile to my face, it put a smile to my heart”.
