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On Wednesday, she graduated with First Class Honours in a Bachelor of Primary Education. Her son, Alakai, now six years old, was in the audience cheering her on. For Bronte, it wasn’t just her graduation – it was theirs.

“He’s been with me through every step,” Bronte says. “Every lecture, every assignment, every late-night study session. I kept going because of him. He was my motivation.”

_{Bronte with her son Alakai at her graduation}

Bronte’s journey to graduation hasn’t been easy or traditional. It’s been full of detours, doubts and deeply personal challenges. Straight after high school, she enrolled in nursing, mostly because it felt like the right thing to do.

“At that age, you feel pressure to just pick something,” she says. “I chose nursing, but my heart wasn’t in it. I wasn’t sure what I really wanted.”

After stepping away from her degree, she found herself navigating an entirely different chapter – motherhood. Becoming a parent at 20 changed everything.

“I went from being unsure about my own future to having to make decisions for someone else’s,” she says. “That was terrifying, but it strengthened my drive to ensure there was a stable and fulfilling future for my son and I.”

While raising her son, Bronte started to reflect on what kind of life she wanted to build. One thing that kept coming back to her was teaching.

“I always enjoyed working with kids. I loved helping people learn,” she says. “There’s a lot of self-doubt that comes with starting over, especially as a young mum.”

She started studying UOW’s Primary Education degree full-time while working and caring for her son. But the challenges kept coming. Two immediate family members became seriously ill, including the terminal diagnosis of her mother, and then, in the middle of it all, Bronte lost her brother unexpectedly.

“That marked an incredibly difficult time in my life” she says. “There were days I wanted to quit. But I’d think of Alakai, and how important it was to show him that we can get through hard things." Through it all, the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ became a place of support and understanding.

“My lecturers knew I had more going on than just assignments. They were flexible and kind. They didn’t make me feel like I had to apologise for being a mum or for grieving.”

_{Kim Restante (Bronte's Primary Education maths tutor) and Dr Elise van Der Jagt (Honours thesis supervisor and Primary Education maths lecturer) at her graduation ceremony.}

One unexpected joy that emerged during her studies was that she discovered a love for maths. In high school, she had chosen to study the maths she felt ‘confident’ with despite her teacher’s consistent encouragement to challenge her ability. But as she progressed through her degree, something shifted. “I started to really enjoy it. My love of maths may have always been present, but you can’t force someone to do something or you may take the enjoyment out of it. “ She says. “I used to think I wasn’t a ‘maths person,’ but then I realised it’s about patterns, persistence and problem-solving – all things I was already doing in life.”

This passion became the focus of her Honours research. Her thesis looked at how future secondary mathematics teachers can better connect theory with real classroom practice. The project deepened her interest in how students engage with maths and helped her grow in confidence as a researcher and educator.

“I want to help students see that maths isn’t about being naturally gifted. It’s about trying, making mistakes, and seeing problems in new ways. I want to make it less scary and more human.”

In recognition of her academic achievement and personal resilience throughout her studies, Bronte also received scholarships that helped ease the financial pressure of balancing university, parenting and work.

“They allowed me to breathe,” she says. “I could afford university supplies or reduce the financial strain during my final placement. More than anything, they were a vote of confidence.”

Having successfully completed her degree, Bronte reflects on just how far she’s come; not just academically, but personally. The young woman who once second-guessed herself is now finishing university with First Class Honours. And she’s doing it as a strong, resilient single mum who knows exactly where she’s headed.

Bronte’s next step might involve further study to retrain as a secondary maths teacher. She’s also interested in further research through a doctoral degree, particularly around maths. Whatever she chooses, she wants to continue growing as a teacher and as a role model for her son.

“I want Alakai to see that even when things are hard, we can keep moving forward.”

She hopes her story encourages others who might be thinking of going back to study, especially parents who feel like their time has passed.

“You don’t have to do it the way everyone else does,” she says. “You can take longer, take breaks, cry in the car if you need to. That doesn’t make you any less deserving of success.”