“I want to be the first woman in my family with a doctorate,” she says.

Elaina will give the graduate speech at her graduation ceremony. She is currently finishing her Honours study before going on to a PhD, where she hopes to focus on neuroscience.

“I’ve always been interested in science. I remember sitting in class and having all these questions, especially about how the human body works and what causes disease.

“Biomedical science was the perfect area to study to get answers to these questions, and best of all it gave me new questions to uncover the answers to.”

“Science hasn’t just taught me facts—it’s given me a toolbox to conceptualise and effect meaningful change that can make the world we live in a better place,” Elaina says.

But it wasn’t just the subjects Elaina studied that made University worthwhile—it was the people, both lecturers, tutors, and friends.

“Studying brings together like-minded people, which made it easy to make friends—and shared anguish over exams also brings people together,” Elaina jokes. “Learning from passionate people also built my love for science and inspired me.”

It was this support network that helped Elaina get through some of the tougher times while studying.

“My grandmother passed away during my second year, which hit me really hard,” Elaina says. “I missed some classes and an assessment piece. Luckily both the University staff and my friends were very supportive, and they helped me out of the slump I was in.”

Once she completes her studies, Elaina hopes to pursue a career in women’s health.

“Our understanding of women’s health is nowhere near good enough to fully address the issues that affect over fifty percent of our population,” Elaina says. “I want to keep contributing to science, especially in this area.”

Elaina has some advice for current students:

“University isn’t easy, but it’s completely worth it if you are up to the challenge. As well as focusing on studying—which is super important, so don’t let anyone tell you otherwise—make sure to build a support network who want you to succeed. If you need help, get it early.

“University isn’t just going to give you a degree—it’s going to provide you with experiences which will shape you as a person and stay with you for the rest of your life.”