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A former Ukrainian medical student who fled to Australia in the first week of the war on Ukraine has graduated from her first university degree in Brisbane.
Three years ago, Sofia Sorokina left her father, home, friends, and dreams of becoming a doctor, to start a new and safer life in Australia.
Landing on the Gold Coast on 8 March, 2022, after a traumatic escape through Ukraine and into Poland with her grandmother, Sofia said she felt as though her life was "on pause indefinitely".
But a scholarship for refugees on Temporary Protective Visas seeking asylum in Australia, including Ukrainians who fled the war, gave her the chance to start over.
Sofia received her first undergraduate degree, a Bachelor of Biomedical Science from Australian Catholic University (ACU) on April 17. She is among the first Ukrainian refugees to graduate from an Australian university.
"Completing this degree means more to me than just an academic achievement-it's a symbol of resilience and hope after everything I've been through," Sofia said.
"It means reclaiming a future that was almost taken from me."
Starting life over in a foreign country has not been an easy road for Sofia, whose hometown of Kharkiv and the second-largest city in Ukraine was the first to be bombed by Russian forces.
"When the war in Ukraine broke out, everything changed overnight. I had to leave behind my home, my friends, my dreams of becoming a doctor and the life I had worked so hard to build. The uncertainty was overwhelming," she said.
"But studying in Australia gave me the chance to start over. It wasn't just about earning a degree, it was about rebuilding my identity and sense of purpose."
Sofia was also honoured to give the Vote of Thanks on behalf of her fellow graduates from the Faculty of Health Sciences.
"Graduation feels like a powerful moment of closure and a new beginning. I feel incredibly proud, a little nostalgic, and very excited for the future," Sofia said.
With an undergraduate degree under her belt, Sofia has also resumed her dreams of becoming a doctor, commencing a medical degree at Monash University in Melbourne.
"Getting into Monash University Medical School, and on a scholarship, was the moment I'd been dreaming of for so long," Sofia said.
"It felt like all the sacrifices, long nights of study, and moments of doubt had finally paid off. I was overwhelmed with emotion-joy, relief, and deep gratitude."
Sofia's message to other Ukrainian refugees in Australia who are uncertain about their future is: "Please don't give up".
"There are days when you might feel lost or invisible, questioning whether it's even worth continuing, but I want you to know this: you are stronger than you realise," Sofia said.
"Every single day you choose to keep going, even when it's hard, is a victory. Your resilience, your courage to try again, is something truly powerful.
"Take one small step at a time, and keep believing in yourself, even when the world feels heavy. Your story matters. Your future matters. And no matter how uncertain things seem now, there is hope. Always."
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