Hanwa Fahme

I come from a big family, being the eldest of six kids with over 40 cousins from my dad’s side. I had a very fun childhood, always with my cousins and travelling as much as we could.

I am a passionate person who loves to spend my time with my family and my studies! If I am not studying or doing research, you can find me spending time with family. I also really love the outdoors and exploring. Whenever I can, I love to go for a nice walk.

What inspired me to pursue my degree was the journey of pregnancy. Coming from a big family, I used to love it when my aunties and mum would talk about pregnancy.

The main experience that pushed me into choosing midwifery was when a midwife visited my mum at home to check up on her after giving birth to my youngest brother. The midwife sat down with me, taught me about her profession, and made me fall in love with the idea of being a midwife. As a result, I knew from the young age of 14 what I wanted to do!

I chose to study UTS because I knew it was the #1 university for Nursing and Midwifery. I talked to other students who had spoken highly of UTS, but I did not know how amazing UTS was until I went to the information night. We were able to speak to current students and lecturers who told us about the degree and the amount of support given.

I did not expect to feel so supported and encouraged to push myself so much.

The one experience that has stood out for me the most when was at the beginning my studies at UTS; COVID-19 had hit Australia, and the world had no idea what was going on.

At the time, the support provided by the uni was amazing. We had constant emails checking up on us, calls from the uni about the support they offer and services that we contact. At the time of a global pandemic, I felt positively overwhelmed by the encouragement and help to carry through with our studies.

My plan is to become a Registered Midwife and be visible in Sydney’s western community. I want to ensure all that all women, regardless of socioeconomic status, have the best experience, support and education to assist them in their pregnancy and the postpartum period.

I also plan to become an educator so I can assist students, just like those who once assisted me!