On Wednesday, 5 August, Dunmore Lang College students returned to Broken Hill, with current resident Madison Rae and DLC alumna Ayva O’Meara representing the College at the Broken Hill Careers Expo alongside the Macquarie University Outreach team. For both Madison and Ayva, the day was a special full-circle moment. Having grown up in Broken Hill themselves, they returned to their hometown to share their experiences and show local students that studying in Sydney can be an achievable and supported pathway after finishing school.
About our Student Ambassadors
As regional students themselves, Madison and Ayva were able to speak honestly about their journeys to university and the opportunities available through Macquarie University and Dunmore Lang College. They shared insights into scholarships, college life and the friendships and community that can make moving away from home feel a little less daunting.
For Ayva, who is a DLC alumna and recipient of the Macquarie University/DLC Rural and Regional Scholarship, returning to Broken Hill provided an opportunity to share an experience that she knows can change a student’s outlook on what is possible.
“I felt so proud to be able to share my incredible experience at DLC with some of Broken Hill’s young people who are in the exact same position as I was a few years ago.”
— Ayva O’Meara, DLC Alumna
Madison also reflected on the significance of returning to her hometown during her first year at the expo. As a current DLC resident, Macquarie Advantage Scholarship recipient, Indigenous student and first in her family to attend university, she was able to offer a particularly meaningful perspective to students considering their own pathways beyond school.
“Being able to return to my hometown to represent DLC in my first year at this expo felt like such a full circle moment… supporting my local community, particularly my Indigenous peers, is something that I will always be grateful for.”
— Madison Rae, Current DLC Student
The day was about more than promoting university study. It was an opportunity for Madison and Ayva to demonstrate, through their own experiences, that coming from a regional community does not have to limit what comes next.
Their presence at the expo showed local students that there are people who have walked the same path before them and that with the right support, scholarships and community, moving away from home to pursue university can be an exciting and achievable next step. Dunmore Lang College is incredibly proud to see our students and alumni giving back to their communities and helping the next generation of regional students see what’s possible.
