ALUMNI NEWS:  This week we are hearing from Courtney Graham (nee Shardlow) has been doing since graduating from the Class of 2014:

“This is where life has taken me.... I hope you enjoy the snapshot of my life since my school days.

A few weeks after graduating I ended up having spinal surgery to fix the curvature of my spine that I suffered with the whole of my schooling life. After four months of recovering, I went back to work but didn’t feel fulfilled.

I decided I wanted to travel abroad, with my first stop being England. I flew out to England in October 2015 with my Nanna and lived with her whilst I sorted out my next steps. I soon got a job at Subway and worked my way up to Assistant Manager. Two months into my life abroad, I met my future husband. We courted for nine months, and then travelled back to Australia so that he could meet my family.

We stayed in Australia for 11 months, worked when it was possible and eventually, on June 10, 2017, we became engaged. Shortly after, in August 2017, we flew back to England. We planned our wedding and worked. I went back to my job as Assistant Manager at Subway, but soon realised that I wanted to pursue my lifelong career dream of becoming a nurse. I applied for a job as Healthcare Assistant at a local care home, supporting elderly people who suffer from Alzheimer’s, Dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and other various health and mobility issues.

On November 10, 2018, my fiancé and I got married in Bransgore, United Kingdom, with both of our families present. We had an amazing and unforgettable day. We honeymooned in Edinburgh and settled down in Christchurch, Dorset, United Kingdom.

2019 was a year of discomfort for us both. My husband suffered with some unexplained medical issues, and as we adjusted to married life together, it tested the two of us. With God’s grace we were able to sing in the new year of 2020, and thanked God for teaching us patience in a year that was very complex.

2020 was a year of adapting. With the announcement of the COVID-19 pandemic, I became an essential worker. I became full-time at my job, and an opportunity to learn and expand my career was provided.

2021 began with a rocky start when I tested positive to COVID-19 at the start of January. Thankfully I wasn’t badly affected by the virus and after isolating for ten days, was able to return to work. I must admit that wearing hazmat suits whilst at work felt like something out of a horror film!!   April 2021, I was very unwell. I developed a secondary infection in my lung, of pneumonia and pleurisy. Following that I had an exacerbation of my asthma. Thankfully, my doctors and the hospital staff were able to help me get back to full health and I have since returned to work and am doing much better.

Life has moved by so quickly and I find it incredibly scary how seven years has just gone by. It’s crazy to think I’m now mid-twenties!! I am still working towards my career goal of being a nurse, and every day I wake up grateful that I have an amazing job. I am very grateful for the schooling background that I received; as the College values have really helped define who I am.”

God bless, Courtney.

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