Michelle Zhang

I am an Australian-born Chinese. Ever since I learned to talk and sing, I was encouraged to become an artist, entertaining and serving others to bring laughter to those I am with. However, at the age of six, my mother passed away.

Despite knowing nothing about the career, my first dreams were of becoming a medical researcher or pharmacist to complete her unfinished business. I started working towards that dream of wearing a white lab coat, until my father discovered that he had late stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Then I was 13, with new aims of becoming a doctor and solving the mystery of cancer to cure my dad. As I watched my dad go through his treatments, visiting hospital became my daily routine. My father was defeated by his sickness ten days before my 16th birthday.

I remember the last week we spent together; I was sitting beside his hospital bed as nurses came in and out, providing his medications and meals, checking on him. We were both under the care of the entire health care team, and we received endless assistance and support.

Now, I would like to become a health care professional and use my experiences to help people in similar situations, to assist them in all the ways I can, and pay forward the kindness and love I received.

I enjoy helping others, but my passion lies in bringing joy and laughter to the people around me, and in easing their feelings when experiencing hardships. Bringing comfort and support to others gives me satisfaction, so nursing links very closely to my passion; it allows me to help, support and bring comfort to my patients and their family.

I really enjoy studying nursing. The course itself provides placement opportunities where I get to have a taste of different aspects – such as surgical nursing, older person care and critical care nursing – to gain experience and assist me in finding the right area for my future career. I also made a lot of friends in my first year, with group work and practical lab events providing opportunities for me to engage with like-minded people and develop close friendships. 

My method of studying completely changed since coming to university. The different style, such as online materials, simulation labs and clinical placements have only increased my interest in learning as a more effective way to develop my skills and proper technique. It is fun to be in class. There is also a variety of extra-curricular activities for students to take up leadership roles and work with other students or staff – such as student tutoring, peer networking and student ambassador programs.

My plan for the future is to focus on self-improvement and using my abilities to help others. Career-wise, I would like to finish my degree, work in the field for a few years gaining experience, and then proceed with further studies in advanced nursing. I also want to build meaningful memories and have a positive impact on others, perhaps through voluntary work and travelling.

I would advise future students to enjoy university life to the fullest, explore all the possibilities that UTS has to offer and challenge yourself.

Any opportunities you are given are all a part of the experience and your personal growth. I would encourage you to step out of your comfort zone, and not to limit yourself, but at the same time, to take care of yourself. If you find yourself struggling to cope with this new environment, talk to someone. There are support groups and student services happy to help.

Find out more about the Bachelor of Nursing at UTS