When Divyangana Sharma arrived in Tarneit from India in 2020 she didn’t expect to find herself playing a frontline role against the pandemic.
Ms Sharma had just enrolled in nursing at Holmesglen Institute when COVID-19 hit and she immediately joined the state’s healthcare workforce, screening people for the virus and working at pop-up COVID-19 testing sites between classes.
Her passion and dedication was officially recognised and Ms Sharma was awarded the Premier’s Award and International Student of the Year Award at the Victorian International Education Awards in October.
Ms Sharma said she is passionate about nursing, mental health and being the voice for international students, and is an advocate for LGBTQIA+ students.
“For someone like me, who is so passionate about healthcare, and now doing things that I’ve always
dreamed of, it’s a very fulfilling feeling,” Ms Sharma said.
She considers herself lucky to be learning as part of Australia’s pandemic workforce and fully embraced the opportunity to obtain practical experience in pursuit of a career in nursing.
Ms Sharma has also been recognised by her university for commendable work, including winning an International Student Scholarship, serving as the Student Representative Chair, and is one of only two Holmesglen students from the Moorabbin campus to secure an Epworth Healthcare fellowship, completing placements across the healthcare provider’s Brighton, Camberwell and Richmond facilities, working in the rehabilitation and vascular surgery departments.
