After her dad's heart attack, Sarah lept into nursing and never looked back - "It's hard work but the community is everything"
The Journey into Nursing
Sarah Mcleod is now a determined second-year Child Health Nursing student at 麻豆社区. Although she was surrounded by healthcare professionals鈥攈er mum and several close relatives鈥攕he never considered nursing until a family crisis changed everything.
"This time last year my dad had a heart attack. The care and love the medical and nursing staff gave my dad was incredible. I remember turning around and saying to my mum, "I want to do something like this and make a change in someone's life".
That moment sparked Sarah鈥檚 life-changing decision: to retrain, dedicate herself to nursing, and never look back. Her goal? To be an inspiring role model for her young son, giving him "a better life鈥攆or us, and for him."
Community in and out of the classroom
Returning to education as a mature student, Sarah worried about fitting in鈥攂ut worried for nothing. From day one, a WhatsApp group formed among her classmates, growing quickly into a close-knit network offering support, shared placements, study sessions, and social nights out.
Sarah reflects, "Helping out and checking in is a huge part of Napier鈥 I鈥檇 go out of my way to help anybody, no matter if they鈥檙e on my course鈥.
This innate culture of camaraderie鈥攖hat strong Napier community spirit鈥攈as been her anchor, helping her balance study, parenting, and personal growth.
Sarah鈥檚 journey鈥攆rom worried daughter to confident future nurse鈥 reminds us that courage and connection can take root at any stage of life鈥攁nd that, sometimes, the most defining choices come after our hardest days.