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Queenie
Community Elder

I Actually did it!

I am now a qualified community worker! I finished my course yesterday. 

I showed all those people who didn't believe I could actually commit to two years (and get it done in 18 months) and graduate with flying colours. I re-sat my finals and did placement and aced it! I got the top grade. 

My tutors and teachers have recommended a great university to go to next year (if I want to) to do a bachelor of social work. Otherwise, if I don't do that, I am going to study Diploma of Mental Health with a focus on peer work. Both are important to me. 

I'm kinda stoked! Thanks everyone for following my journey with me... all those highs and lows and muddling on through. Couldn't have done it without y'all!

 

Q

19 REPLIES 19

Re: I Actually did it!

Well done @Queenie 🙂  

 

Thats super news and must be so exciting for you to be done and have other options avaiable to you now.  You have every right to be stoked after all the hard work and diffuculties you have had along the way and I'm sure I've only see the tip of the iceberg lol 🙂  

 

Try not to party to hard now 🙂  Take care. 🙂

Re: I Actually did it!

@Queenie I haven't been around the forums much lately and haven't been following the ups and downs that you have been through, but wanted to wish you a belated congratulations!!! 

 

I am not surprised that you got the top grade. It is very obvious that you are smart, articulate and an incredibly capable person. You have the worlds most stigmatised mental health condition, you would have copped so much judgment and a 'set and forget' mentality from doctors and yet you were able to finish with flying colours as you say!!

 

Schizophrenia is rarely spoken as being synonymous with resilient, but anyone that has come through psychosis that takes you out of life for a few years is a very resilient person in my books. There's is no comparison to an experience like that, and the English language wouldn't be able to describe it accurately, well my vocab can't anyway. It certainly debunked a lot of assumptions I had made about what it would be like and it does make you a much more empathetic person.

 

Young and old would look up to you as a peer support community worker, you've already graduated from the University of Life with a PhD and having lived it from the inside will give you immediate respect from clients. You know the challenges and systemic barriers facing people with MI and you also understand traumatic loss and family breakdown. I would love to be your client and have you as my mentor, you will have insights that cannot be taught.

 

Best of luck and enjoy a celebration this weekend,

 

Corny xx

Re: I Actually did it!

Well said @Corny  and here here !!  

 

You will be an amazing asset to your community and people in your care @Queenie 

 

People can only 'learn' so much, you've lived and breathed it.  It's a very different skill that you can't put a value or price on.

Re: I Actually did it!

congratulations @Queenie , way to go my awesome friend xxxxHeart

Re: I Actually did it!

Just wanted to say congratulations @Queenie 

You should be so proud of yourself. You did it despite all the ups and downs along the way.

Can you treat yourself to something special? I think you have deserved it.

Re: I Actually did it!

Sooper Girl

 

Options and pathways opening up. Onya.  @Queenie  Knew ya could.  

Smiley Happy

Re: I Actually did it!

Thanks everyone for your kind words and support. It has meant the world to me! I actually had happy tears reading them! This course was a big gamble to see if I was capable of actually achieving a dream. Several times my psychiatrist told me to quit and just try and be content living on DSP for the rest of my life. I’m not going to believe just because of a certain diagnosis, I have to throw my life away and not have achievable goals.

Next stop is graduation 🎓 and kicking more goals hopefully.

 

@Zoe7  I’m tagging you here as I know you’ll have wanted to know that I made it!

Re: I Actually did it!

Gentlen Hugs Q

@Queenie 

Heart

Re: I Actually did it!

@Queenie  Congratulations Queenie!:Dxxxx