Jaleesa Basnight’s journey to become a nurse is dotted with its fair share of challenges and triumphs. From raising a family at a young age, to flying thousands of kilometres to study, Jaleesa’s story is one of resilience, growth, and determination. She’s now back in the Torres Strait working as a nurse, with a mission to improve the health outcomes of her community and inspire the next generation.

Content Warning

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners are advised that this podcast includes conversations about deceased persons. It does not include names, voices or images.

This episode contains themes of family violence, First-Nations child removal, mental health challenges, traditional adoption, and grief. People who have experienced themes discussed may find some of this content difficult. Similarly, those who have not been exposed to this content before, may find the information confronting and challenging.

We encourage you to prioritise your wellbeing. You can pause, skip chapters and stop the episode at any time.

If you or someone you know needs support, we encourage you to seek support through:

• Deakin Safer Community(Deakin Students and Staff)
• Deakin's Employee Wellbeing Support (Deakin Staff)
• 1800RESPECT – 1800 737 732 (24/7 support for domestic and family violence)
• 13YARN (13 92 76) – Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Crisis Line
• Lifeline – 13 11 14 (24/7 crisis support)
• Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4636 (mental health support)
• For support outside of Australia, please visit spotify.com/resources.

Learn more about NIKERI at deakin.edu.au/indigenous-students/study/nikeri-institute
Learn more about studying nursing at deakin.edu.au/international-students/choosing-your-degree/nursing

Chapters
00:00 Content warning

00:24 Introducing Jaleesa

03:01 Early life 

05:33 Growing up

15:05 Pursuing a nursing degree

22:48 Navigating studies and family

27:47 Support and challenges

30:10 Building a support system

31:18 Balancing motherhood and education

35:03 Finding motivation

36:13 The final push to graduation

46:33 Graduation day

53:57 Life after graduation

55:33 Future aspirations

In this episode, Lucky shares his unconventional journey through careers in science, photography, and teaching - reflecting on the risks and rewards of embracing change. He shares his experience and challenges growing up in Australia, finding purpose, and his passion for connecting with people as an educator and photographer. Lucky’s story highlights the importance of perseverance, flexibility, and the joy found in embracing change.

Learn more about Deakin's education courses here: https://www.deakin.edu.au/study/find-a-course/education-and-teaching
Check out Lucky's photography at: https://lakshalperera.com/

Chapters:
00:00 – Intro: Meet Lucky Perera
02:11 –  Childhood & Belonging
03:58 – Discovering Physics & Passion
05:42 – The Accidental PhD
10:10 – Family, Culture & Expectations
15:18 – Science & Society
18:07 – Becoming a Photographer
23:23 – Connection Through the Camera
25:28 – Pandemic Pause & Career Reflection
30:03 – Teaching & Community Impact
39:45 – Awards & Recognition
47:00 – Embracing Possibility
49:45 – What’s Next for Lucky? 

In this episode of Stories of Wonder, Ameer shares his journey. Despite significant barriers, he graduated high school twice and earned Deakin University's Sanctuary Scholarship to study Medical Imaging. Ameer reflects on his experiences, the vital role of scholarships in accessing education, and his aspirations in Medicine.

Chapters:

00:00 Ameer's Arrival in Australia

00:47 High School Challenges and Achievements

01:23 Life in War-Torn Iraq

03:42 Adjusting to Life in Australia

04:47 Pursuing Higher Education

09:12 The Sanctuary Scholarship

14:40 Balancing Work and Study

19:14 Future Aspirations in Medicine

24:26 Advice for Aspiring Students

25:51 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Please note: The individual views and opinions expressed in this video do not necessarily reflect those of Deakin as an organisation. Deakin is committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment where both freedom of speech and academic freedom are vigorously upheld. Our community thrives on diverse opinions and perspectives, with open-minded inquiry and respectful disagreement essential to our university culture.

In this episode of Stories of Wonder, learn about Michele's journey and how she is transforming legal education through community law clinics, empowering students and supporting underserved local communities.

Find out more at https://50years.deakin.edu.au/story/deakin-law-students-break-down-barriers-for-justice/

Please note: The individual views and opinions expressed in this video do not necessarily reflect those of Deakin as an organisation. Deakin is committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment where both freedom of speech and academic freedom are vigorously upheld. Our community thrives on diverse opinions and perspectives, with open-minded inquiry and respectful disagreement essential to our university culture.

The textile industry has become the second worst polluting industry in the world.

With a mammoth amount of waste from manufacturers and retailers, and almost no textile recycling, it’s an issue that’s having a negative impact on the planet – literally.
 
Deakin Associate Research Fellow, Lucas Rosson aims to change that in some innovative ways.
 
From chemical recycling to working with industry to turn food waste into textiles, his research is showing that sustainable materials are possible.
 
This is the story of how a young mining and engineering student made the switch to study materials science, uncovered new insights about how we colour certain materials, and experience some happy accidents that would lead to new possibilities for textile sustainability.
 
At 07:58 and 25:00 Lucas mentions 'IFM' - this is Deakin University's Institute of Frontier Materials https://www.deakin.edu.au/ifm
 
Please note: The individual views and opinions expressed in this video do not necessarily reflect those of Deakin as an organisation. Deakin is committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment where both freedom of speech and academic freedom are vigorously upheld. Our community thrives on diverse opinions and perspectives, with open-minded inquiry and respectful disagreement essential to our university culture.

In 2016, a thunderstorm asthma event in Melbourne left 10 people dead and thousands in hospital. It was a dramatic outcome that exposed a serious issue - there was no easy way to detect pollen in the air. Previous technology would take a whole day to complete a scan and produce a report. And those machines were massive.

Enter Dr Kira Morgan Hughes, a Deakin PHD graduate who knew there had to be a better way.

So she created it.

Her invention makes it possible to detect pollen in the air within the hour. Oh, and it’s the size of a small button. This is the story of how a young fiction writer, who nearly flunked chemistry in high school, created a device that could potentially save lives. 

Please note: The individual views and opinions expressed in this video do not necessarily reflect those of Deakin as an organisation. Deakin is committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment where both freedom of speech and academic freedom are vigorously upheld. Our community thrives on diverse opinions and perspectives, with open-minded inquiry and respectful disagreement essential to our university culture.