Continuing a Family Legacy: Hasina’s Story
Thanks to an Achieving Potential Scholarship, Hasina has completed her Master of Educational Leadership at Monash and is paving the way to guide the next generation.
Hasina always understood the value of education. Growing up in Afghanistan, she saw its transformative power modelled daily by her parents; her father worked as a schoolteacher and her mother served as a nurse. They instilled in Hasina a deep commitment to learning, caring for others, and pursuing her ambitions.
Driven by this foundation, Hasina earned a Bachelor’s degree in Education in Afghanistan, hoping to use her knowledge to help others find their own path. But after seeking asylum in Australia, continuing her studies felt increasingly out of reach.
She found herself navigating the complexities of building a new life in a new country while caring for her young child. While postgraduate study could open doors to a career in educational leadership and career counselling, without financial support, it simply wasn't feasible.
As someone newly arrived in Australia, it would not have been feasible for me to pursue postgraduate study without such support. - Hasina
Overcoming the barriers
When a student arrives in a new country with a young family, financial constraints can quickly become an insurmountable barrier to higher education. The potential and ambition are present, but without structured support, talented individuals are forced to put their dreams on hold.
An Achieving Potential Scholarship provided the vital bridge Hasina needed to step back into higher education.
This support provided Hasina with:
- Financial relief: removing the burden of tuition fees and living costs, allowing her to balance her studies with caring for her young child.
- Academic and personal growth: enabling full engagement with classmates, exchanging ideas, and developing vital skills in leadership, communication, problem-solving, and technology.
- Renewed confidence: giving her the security and validation to pursue a high-level career in educational leadership.
When Hasina received the news of her scholarship, the first people she called were her parents in Afghanistan.
They were surprised, overjoyed, and told me I was doing a fabulous job and moving one step closer to my dreams. - Hasina
For Hasina’s father, the news carried a deeply personal significance: his daughter was continuing the family’s lifelong belief in the power of education.
The ripple effect of opportunity
Today, Hasina is a proud Monash graduate and the third person in her family to achieve a Master’s degree, following her older brother and her husband.
Armed with her degree, Hasina aims to work in career counselling within the Australian education sector. She wants to guide future students, helping them identify career pathways that reflect their unique talents, interests, and aspirations.
Crucially, receiving a donor-funded scholarship has inspired a deeper ambition: to one day give back and create similar opportunities for others who face barriers to education.
This support not only allowed me to study, but also inspired me to one day be in a position to provide similar opportunities for others. - Hasina
When you support a scholar like Hasina, your gift creates lasting impact:
- Immediate relief: provides talented students with the financial freedom to focus on advanced studies.
- Community impact: equips future educational leaders to guide and mentor hundreds of prospective students.
- Generational change: honors family legacies and inspires scholars to pay their opportunity forward to future generations.
Will you help unlock potential today?
Donate now to help remove the financial and systemic barriers standing between ambitious students and a Monash education. Your generosity ensures that talent and determination, not background or financial hardship, define a student's future.