Ornina Ekhtiar – New South Wales

Ornina, 32, was born in Syria, where she completed high school and a pathology course. However, about 10 years ago, due to civil unrest, she and her family fled to Lebanon as refugees. With her education interrupted, she couldn’t continue her studies.

When Ornina and her family were granted refugee status and came to Australia, she was determined to learn English. She successfully completed a Certificate I in Language at TAFE. Despite recovering from a hand injury that caused her some difficulties, she remained committed to her education.

Ornina is now working towards her Certificate II in Workplace Skills at MTC Australia, an adult education provider in Sydney. She is also gaining work experience with the Assyrian Resource Centre in Fairfield, thanks to a collaboration between MTC Australiaa and the Resource Centre.

Her dream is to resume her studies in pathology so she can work in a hospital. Ornina believes that improving English language skills can open many opportunities for young women like her, and she encourages others to do the same.