Rain Rodenburg, Lumen’s Study Hubs Coordinator in Merredin, brings a unique perspective to her role, shaped by her background in both education and cultural exchange. Born and raised in the Netherlands, Rain explains, “We don’t have school buses. We all cycle to school. We don’t have school uniforms. Our high school days are longer, starting at 8.15am and they vary in length depending on how many periods you have in a day. We can have 8 periods in a day, finishing at 4pm. In Winter, you’d cycle to school in the dark and cycle home again in the dark!”

Rain’s journey to Australia began in 2008 when she did an exchange semester at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. “I just fell in love with Australia, the climate, the lifestyle, the laid-back attitude,” she recalls. After completing a Master’s in Communication at the University of Amsterdam, Rain decided to go on another Australian adventure, this time exploring the West Coast and having a go at station life, mustering cattle, goats and sheep. Eventually Rain settled in Merredin and decided to pursue a Graduate Diploma in Education at Edith Cowan University. “I knew I would find it very hard to motivate myself to study from home every day,” she says, which led her to move to Perth to study. “It added its own stress, financial pressure, because I had to find a place to live and travel back and forth, which was expensive and time-consuming.”

Rain faced a significant challenge with the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) test required for university for students that have a non-English education background. “It was extremely challenging. I was just half a point short on my writing, and I had to retake the test twice. It really dented my confidence,” she recalls. “I cried my eyes out both times. It was very hard, especially because I did not prepare myself for if I didn’t get the marks I needed. The stakes were high because I couldn’t start my Dip Ed at ECU without it.” Despite additional writing lessons with two local retired English teachers, she still didn’t get the required score on her first two attempts.

However, after further specific IELTS test preparation, Rain passed on her third attempt. “Once I knew the writing structure they were after, it was fine,” she says. “It made me more resilient because I had to work harder to achieve it and change my plans along the way. I ended up having to postpone my study plans by a whole year, which seemed a humongous amount of time back then, but looking back on it now, that year flew by. The whole debacle did really improve my writing. During my Dip Ed I actually helped other students with their writing!”

Now, as Lumen’s Study Hubs Coordinator, Rain is passionate about supporting students who face similar challenges. “I love being able to support students through their studies, especially knowing how hard it can be to balance everything,” she says. “If Lumen had been around when I was studying, I could’ve stayed in Merredin and it would’ve saved me so much time, money, and stress.”

Rain’s advice to students considering further education is simple: “Give it a go. If there’s something you’re passionate about, don’t hesitate to pursue it. It may be challenging, but there’s support here at Lumen, and we’re happy to help you on your education journey.”

Thanks, Rain, for sharing your story with us.