A hard 15 month journey has paid dividends for Western Riverina Community College (WRCC) graduate Veniana Tarovia who was recently named Community Colleges Australia community education student of the year.
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Mrs Tarovia recently completed her Certificate III in Individual Support in Aged Care, a feat she thought she wouldn't achieve due to personal challenges encountered over the life of the course.
Now she is being haled as a true success story, with not only her graduation certificate to marvel over but also her student of the year accolade which she received in Sydney on December 1.
She says she owes a great deal of gratitude to the staff at WRCC as well as with her husband and four daughters.
"With the course itself I found the trainers extremely helpful; there was such a wealth of support backing me and guiding me to the finish line," Mrs Tarovia said.
"I had my share of real personal hardship throughout the duration that included the passing of several family members. I was also juggling two jobs and trying to support my four daughters and husband - they encouraged me the whole way and I thank them so much.
"There were several times when I thought I was going to pull out of the course. The student support officer was incredible in keeping me on track and helping me get back on top of the workload.
"I also owe a lot to my trainer Alison Quinn who was an invaluable guide throughout that time"
She said being named student of the year was a huge, unexpected honour for both herself and the college.
"Just to be nominated was an accolade in itself. I was absolutely flabbergasted and I'm so grateful myself and the college were recognised in that way," she said.
Her trainer Alison Quinn says Mrs Tarovia's persistence and dedication was what got her over the line.
"She would often show up well ahead of time for class. You could see she was working hard to reach her goal and it was really inspirational to watch," she said.
Vocational education training manager Sue Reynolds said says she is delighted with Mrs Tarovia's accomplishment.
"I think what's really important is the support both students and trainers give each other throughout the learning journey. Certainly Veniana was a great example of this," she said.
"At the start of the courses, students and trainers are strangers to one another but by the end they have often formed strong, close bonds. Not only do students they obtain the skills needed, they also make friends for life.
"Veniana's is a prime example of how the college delivers the skills students take with them through their life journeys."