The Heart That Listens: Sarah’s Pathway to Nursing

It was during the pandemic, tucked away in a quiet room, swabbing her grandparents’ noses for COVID tests, that Sarah first felt it — a spark. Something more than duty. Something closer to calling. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do until I was 17,” she says with a soft smile, “But helping them — it just felt right. It wasn’t dramatic. It was small, simple, but it meant something.”

Sarah joined her Bangkok Patana School at the end of Year 9, in the thick of COVID. Having moved from Malaysia, she was struck by the vastness and diversity of the new campus. Coming from a national school, she had to navigate not only new hallways, but a new cultural rhythm. “It was a big shift,” she admits, “But it opened my eyes. It made me more holistic, more adaptable.” The International Baccalaureate programme, with its academic intensity and breadth, was the path she chose when she still wasn’t sure what she wanted. “I chose IB because it kept my options open,” she says. But when she swapped Geography for Chemistry, she admits, “I think deep down, I already knew.”

That quiet certainty deepened through experience. As co-president of the World Food Programme Club for two years, Sarah helped run food drives to support families in Thailand’s Khlong Toey slums. “The smiles when we handed over the supplies — it made everything make sense,” she says. “I knew I had to do something that made people feel seen, cared for.”

That something, it turns out, was nursing.

Sarah lights up when she speaks of hospitals — an environment many find intimidating. “There’s something about it I enjoy. I know it’s weird, but I feel comfortable there,” she says, almost sheepishly. “Like I’m meant to be part of it.” She reinforced that commitment through resilience. Completing all three levels of the Duke of Edinburgh Award, she pushed her limits — especially during her Gold trip, a gruelling cycling expedition through Chiang Mai’s mountains. “I cried every day on the practice trip,” she says, “I didn’t think I could do it. But I trained. I showed up. And I finished. That trip made me proud of myself in a way nothing else has.”

Now, she’s choosing between offers from the University of Sydney and the University of Queensland — with a scholarship nudging her toward Sydney. Her decision wasn’t just about location or rankings. It was about values. “Australia’s healthcare system isn’t perfect, but it’s strong. Nurses are respected. It’s close to home, and I need my family.”

When asked what she will miss the most about Patana, Sarah was quick to say, “I’ll miss the noodle bar, teachers and the helpful Patana community”. As a young woman now, Sarah is ready to walk into uncertainty — with compassion, strength and a heart that listens.