South Nowra’s Kristy Hoger should be the poster-girl for how to pick yourself up after you’ve been knocked down.
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The Shoalhaven Women’s Wellness Festival and TAFE NSW played a major role in her finding the career of her dreams.
Straight out of high school her career started with a promising enlistment as a medic in the Royal Australian Navy.
Tragically, an accident that left her with a life-long chronic injury meant she was unable to continue.
“That was earth-shattering for me, being so young and not having anything else to fall back on,” she said.
“I didn’t have any direction, didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. In the following years I got married and had children, but I wanted to return to work, I wanted to have my own story, I wanted to prove you could be a mother, have a successful career and manage a chronic injury."
Last year she enrolled in Certificate IV Community Services at TAFE NSW Nowra. It was a one-year course she hoped would give her the nationally accredited skills to be in demand, in what she knew was a growing industry.
Ms Hoger is now involved with a local community services program connecting women with support services, after they have suffered domestic violence.
Her involvement with the Shoalhaven Women’s Wellness Festival came about via work-placement through TAFE NSW Nowra.
“The festival really resonated with me and I love what it stands for - celebrating being a woman. I met my mentor from the YWCA at the festival. It was a perfect outcome from the networking we were encouraged to do,” she said.
Ms Hoger helps with event promotion, logistics, WHS evaluations and running the event on the day.
Shoalhaven Women’s Wellness Festival runs from noon to 7pm on Thursday, March 21 at Nowra Showground.
Some attractions will include performances, plenty of food stalls, information stalls and giveaways.
For more information visit www.facebook.com/ShoalhavenWomensWellnessFestival.
For information about TAFE NSW qualifications available at the Nowra campus, phone 131 601 or go to www.tafensw.edu.au.