Alex’s story

Alex had always loved nature and animals, and her dream was to work as a biologist. She started a science degree straight out of school and quickly found that she struggled to cope on field trips and with the fine motor requirements of the laboratory units. There were few supports available for students with disabilities at that time, and after a year, Alex felt she had no option but to switch to another course and leave her dreams behind. 

After years in a rewarding and successful career in community services, Alex came across a citizen science research group focused on marine research. The project itself was land based and Alex saw that several of the team had disabilities. Alex was able to follow this role model and realised it was possible to fulfill one of her dreams to make a positive impact in conservation and animal-related research. She reflected that it is important to never give up on your dreams, even if it takes a little longer to get there than you expect.