From setbacks to smiles – how Olivia Arnold found her purpose in Oral Health
For Olivia Arnold, paving the path to find her purpose has been one marked with challenge, soul-searching – and serendipity.
As a current oral health therapist working in rural Queensland, the dedicated and inspired health professional and CQUniversity alumna has seen first-hand what it looks like to overcome barriers and face challenges head on in order to achieve her dreams.
Hailing from Switzerland and immigrating with her parents to Australia at a young age, Olivia grew up surrounded by the vibrant language and hospitality of European culture from her parents’ Euro-style restaurant in Cairns. Both chefs by trade, Olivia is the first on her father’s side to attain a university degree.
But the journey wasn’t easy.
During Olivia’s high school years, she encountered bullying that impacted her ability to concentrate, resulting in low marks and a loss of self-esteem. However, it didn’t dampen the resilient student’s resolve and dream of one day attending university and becoming a primary school teacher; and with her parents’ persistent encouragement to complete high school, Olivia achieved enough marks to gain entry into CQUniversity’s Bachelor of Primary Education.
“Since a very young age my ‘dream job’ was to become a primary school teacher,” Olivia said.
“I always knew I wanted to help others, work hands-on and contribute to the community.”
However, with the pressure and stress of tertiary study along with a decline in health that resulted in hospitalisation, Olivia’s university journey came to an abrupt halt.
Searching for reprieve, Olivia threw caution to the wind and took a six-month hiatus with family in Switzerland.
“A year had passed, and I was fit and healthy and had the ‘all clear’ from the doctors. I decided that I wanted to travel and escape from Australia for a while,” Olivia said.
“I reached out to my family in Switzerland and applied for work, and I ended up working and living in Switzerland for six months before returning to Australia.
“Although this experience was great, I still had no official qualification to my name. My parents always strongly encouraged me to get a qualification. At this stage in my life, I felt a little lost and had no idea what I was going to do with my life. I started to put myself back out in the workplace and began to try and re-spark my passion. I volunteered and completed work experience in several different areas of work from pastry chef to cabinet making, but nothing seemed to spark my interest.”
It wasn’t until one fateful day when Olivia’s mother happened upon a job advertisement in the local newspaper, that it all changed.
“The advertised position was for a full-time dental assistant traineeship and my initial reaction was very pessimistic, but my mother encouraged me to give it a go and I recall her saying ‘you don’t know until you try’,” Olivia said.
“Let me tell you how wrong I was – within my first hour in the dental clinic I was hooked – it was like love at first sight. This was it, the ‘light bulb moment’, and the very beginning of my journey back to university.”
Thriving in her work and completing her traineeship, Olivia was qualified and worked as a dental assistant for four years – but something was missing.
“I absolutely loved my job, but there was some part of me that said, ‘I want more’,” Olivia said.
“I wanted to be the clinician; I wanted to be the one providing education for the patient, and I wanted to be promoting minimal intervention and prevention of disease. This is when I discovered Skills for Tertiary Education Preparatory Studies (STEPS) at CQUniversity.”
With a goal now to attain a Bachelor of Oral Health, Olivia was determined to push past the barrier of being a ‘mature-aged student’, and after seeking advice from CQU staff in Cairns, Olivia began her STEPS course.
“For the Bachelor of Oral Health, I had to attain a minimum GPA of 6. This translates to at least Distinctions in all subjects,” Olivia explained.
“Initially, I was worried because of my struggles in high school – I never believed I was ‘smart enough’ to attain these grades, but CQU offered so much free academic support and after completing STEPS, I attained a position at CQUniversity in Rockhampton to start my journey of becoming an Oral Health Therapist.
“Three years later I walked across the stage with my mortarboard on my head and my special piece of paper in my hand. Six weeks later I had attained my AHPRA registration that officially recognises me as an Oral Health Therapist – Dental Clinician in Australia.”
Elated, Olivia started her graduate position in February within the public health system in the rural location of Mount Isa, North West Queensland, where she works between the Mount Isa Hospital and a school-based dental van – and her career goals have never looked brighter.
“Once I’ve settled, I will travel for outreach to the surrounding communities of North West Queensland (Cloncurry, Normanton, Doomadgee and Mornington Island),” Olivia said.
“Long-term, I’d love to open my own private practice, and it’s crossed my mind that perhaps one day I could attain the position of Director of Oral Health Service for the North West Public Health System – I have always wanted to experience working in rural and remote parts of Australia to help contribute to closing the oral health gap.
“I can proudly say that this was all made possible due to a lot of hard work, sacrifice and ongoing support from CQU and the STEPS program – I never thought I’d ever go back to university and attain a bachelor’s degree. STEPS gave me the confidence to apply myself to study at a higher educational level.
“My advice to anyone who wants to achieve a university degree would be whether you’re fresh out of school or have had a family and are classed as a “mature aged student” – then just give it a go! If you really want something you will work for it and you will be supported by STEPS and CQU through every step and hurdle you face along the way.”
Learn more about learning pathways and achieving your goals by studying STEPS with CQUniversity.
