‘I WENT BACK TO SCHOOL’
This time last year, Laila Rind, 28, swapped her government job for the classroom and moved from
Perth to the other side of the country.
“I had a 9 to 5 job with a lot of paperwork and I wasn’t happy,” says Laila. So, she decided to study audiology at the University of Melbourne.
“I’m Indigenous, so I knew children in remote communities had a lot of ear health issues,” she says.
“If they can’t hear, they don’t learn and it shapes their lives, and I wanted to do something to help. I didn’t know anyone in Melbourne and going back to study was overwhelming.”
During her studies, Laila spent two months volunteering in the Kimberley and Pilbara with a mobile Earbus clinic. Her desk job far behind her, she visited remote communities and primary schools.
“Some days it was so hot, but you can’t have air conditioning on because everything has to be quiet during the hearing tests. I was sweating buckets in the desert, but it was amazing to help the kids,” says Laila.
Recently graduated, Laila started her first job travelling around remote WA.
“Changing your life is challenging, but if you want to make your life better you just have to jump in and be brave.”