Nicole Benson was named Bendigo TAFE's student of the year at the education organisation's graduation night on Monday night.
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Ms Benson, an Indigenous community services graduate, returned to tertiary education to be a positive role model for her children.
"They are the reason I push myself harder every day," she said.
On receiving the award, Ms Benson said her teachers and the Indigenous Education Centre at Bendigo TAFE had helped her connect with her education.
"I started my journey at Bendigo TAFE not actually being connected with my culture," she said.
"(After) linking with the Indigenous Education Centre I started learning about my culture which has enabled me to have a sense of identity and a sense of belonging. I did think about withdrawing from the course but I reached out to my teachers and we implemented strategies which enabled me to connect with the education and I moved forward from there."
Bendigo chief executive Trevor Schwenke said 184 students graduated from courses in 2018.
"It's the best time in the life of TAFE. After starting the course, seeing them get to the other end of something chosen to do is great," he said. "The achievements we witness at events like graduation highlight the significance of vocational education and training in transforming lives, shaping communities and providing value to industry."
Mr Schwenke said community services and health had seen a lot of graduates in the class of 2018.
"They are our strongest areas and their numbers are growing again this year," he said.
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