Student Story: Kayla Eachells

In 2017 I visited Perth for the first time in fifteen years. My first few visits to the city were a haze to me as I was only a toddler. However, at the age of 21, I revisited Perth and I knew that I had to come back.

The journey to Perth was not simple. After completing my Bachelor’s Degree I was unsure of what to do next. It was not until I got a part-time job teaching English to young children in South Africa that I realised my love for teaching children. I decided to pursue a Master of Teaching at Edith Cowan University (ECU) and Perth was my top study destination.

I returned to Perth in January 2020, but this time for a much longer stay.

Living and studying in a country is very different from visiting for a short vacation. Moving out of my comfort zone and dealing with an unprecedented pandemic was a huge challenge for me. My goal was to experience Perth, not just study in my room and attend lectures every day. That is why after the end of the first lockdown in 2020 I made a conscious effort to make the most out of an experience that I had dreamed of for years. Becoming a StudyPerth helped me turn that dream into a reality. Now, my daily life in Perth offers a new experience.

I managed to find a balance between studying, socialising, exploring and resting. My weeks have transformed into being jampacked with several social events and university tasks. My mornings generally start with university assignments and lectures where I collaborate with my peers and lecturers. The afternoons are often spent in the city with friends, at the StudyPerth Student Hub and/or cafés.

I look back in awe of how far I have come (literally and figuratively speaking). Within a year I made a home out of what used to be just a travel destination, met a numerous amount of people from various backgrounds and went through tremendous personal growth.

As I step into the last stretch of my studies, I hope to make the most of my time as a postgraduate student in Perth. I look forward to every aspect of being a student, including those sleepless nights when I work on assignments. It might be challenging, but I remind myself that having the opportunity to study abroad during these times is a blessing.

While I’m still here I will continue to make memories and share them along the way. There is always something to do in Perth and I do my best to document my journey through social media (@kaylashivana).

By Kayla Eachells