Birri Gubba woman Melissa Ann Fisher knew as a teenager she wanted to be a nurse, but it was not that simple.
WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article contains images and names of people who have died.
Her activist mother wanted Ms Fisher to attend university rather than learn a trade, which is what nursing was considered in those days, and refused to sign the application papers — a decision she later regretted.
After a career doing other jobs and raising five kids, Ms Fisher decided it was her turn.
"I don't care about my age … I'm doing it."
That was in 2015.
Some eight years later, Ms Fisher has just graduated from Charles Darwin University (CDU).
"There were aspects of it being older, you're a bit more vocal, you're a bit more self-aware of who you are," she said.
Education 'a way out'
Currently a Gold Coast resident, Ms Fisher eventually wants to return to work in her hometown of Darwin, where her parents moved in the 1960s.
Her father, a fitter-and-turner and son of a Stolen Generations woman, taught himself to read and write as an adult.
"My father and mother had a mixed marriage and were a bit shunned," Ms Fisher said.
"They came to hide here, not to be judged here."
Ms Fisher said her parents were very "supportive" and her father "just believed in education".
"He said education was up, and it was out, a way out," she said.
Making a difference
Another seminal moment occurred when Ms Fisher, a diabetic, was sitting in a clinic as a patient.
"I want to make a difference in Indigenous health in diabetes."
But it is not over yet.
Ms Fisher is studying for a masters and wants to become a nurse practitioner, which meant she expected to be studying for another six years.
CDU Deputy Vice-Chancellor of First Nations Leadership Professor Reuben Bolt said it was important to acknowledge and celebrate the hard work of students.
"Our First Nations students are role models for their communities and other students wanting to enter higher education, and are an important part of the university's identity," he said.
