Mum-of-four in final semester
BROOKE Morgan is about as far from your typical university student as you can get.
The single mother of four and part-time worker is in her final semester of a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Southern Queensland.
As if that wasn’t enough to have on your plate, the 42-year-old also suffers from Polycythaemia Rubra Vera, an extremely rare blood disorder.
So when she does finally have that all-important piece of paper in her hand, it will really be “a degree for everyone who has helped me along the way”.
“I get quite teary sometimes thinking about the fact that I’m nearly done,” she said.
But getting to this point has been a long journey.
After she finished school in 1992, she received a scholarship to go on a year-long student exchange in Malaysia, and after returning, she began her university studies in 1994.
Not long after that, Ms Morgan fell pregnant with her first child, putting a halt to her university degree for the first time.
Twelve years later, she made a second attempt at completing her degree, a venture that went awry because of divorce and with four kids under the age of seven.
“Then, I decided I would give it one more shot,” she said.
In 2015, she started her Bachelor of Laws, and while it’s been a challenge, she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“The university has been incredible. I was actually overwhelmed by the amount of support on offer when I first started.”
While Polycythaemia Rubra Vera isn’t terminal, it does create an extra burden for Ms Morgan.
“It’s a blood disorder - it’s actually classified as a cancer - because it stems from the bone marrow,” she explained.
“What happens is the little regulator on your bone marrow is broken so essentially I end up with too many red, white blood cells and too many platelets.
“I get injections three times a week and have to have my blood pressure monitored, and I go and see the haematologist and oncologist fairly regularly.
“It makes me tired, I get the occasional bout of brain fog and it’s hard to complete sentences sometimes... that’s my lot in life, but everyone else has challenges they deal with every day.”
Speaking to The Chronicle for Adult Learner’s Week, which runs until tomorrow, Ms Morgan said she would absolutely recommend mature-aged study to others.
“But you’ve got to want it fairly badly and you’ve got to want to do it for yourself, first and foremost,” she said.
“Make sure you have a great support network to help you and just try and give as much as you can because the rewards are just incredible.
“Make that decision and take a risk, take a chance and jump.”
I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the support of family and friends.” — Brooke Morgan