While growing up in Geelong, Sanela Osmanovic (BMBS ‘15 Deakin) imagined herself travelling the world as a performing artist. An interaction with a lawyer who was assisting her father with a property contract suddenly changed her career outlook.
These days, Ms Osmanovic is putting her Deakin double degree in law and management to good use, working as a senior associate for a law firm in Melbourne, where she practises business law, specialising in superannuation.
'I enjoy working with my clients because they really do try to help people understand how they'll be looked after in retirement,' Ms Osmanovic says.
'Another thing that some people don't know is that you have insurance in your superannuation as well. So I often deal with people who become permanently disabled. And they don't realise that they're covered through their superannuation, and they get that money paid out. I really enjoy that – knowing that I work with an industry that is there to help Australians.'
Ms Osmanovic remains passionately connected to Deakin through the Regular Giving program, which supports multiple initiatives including the Sanctuary Scholarships for students who are seeking asylum, or from refugee backgrounds.
These scholarships have a personal resonance for Ms Osmanovic, who was born in Bosnia, and fled with her family to Serbia during the Yugoslav Wars when she was just two years old. The family stayed in a refugee camp in Hungary for several months, before Australia offered them a path to citizenship. They arrived in Geelong when Ms Osmanovic was four, with the promise of a fresh start.
It’s something I'm very familiar with – being an asylum seeker in Australia – and being able to have opportunities for education. I thought that was really important and wanted to support the Sanctuary Scholarships.
Sanela Osmanovic
Humanitarian visa holders in Australia are not eligible to receive higher education loans. These scholarships cover 100% of tuition fees, a yearly stipend to help with living expenses, and provide wraparound support including English language courses.
Ms Osmanovic is pleased to receive annual updates from scholarship recipients, who share how a university education is transforming their lives.
'The first thing I like about the program is that there's no minimum limit – any contribution makes a difference. But the other thing is that you get busier and busier as you advance in your career, and you find that you can't devote as much time to volunteering and things like that,' Ms Osmanovic says.
'I think this is a good way, by setting up a monthly direct debit of whatever amount, to know that you're helping out, even if you can't dedicate your time.'
The power of collective giving at Deakin has a profound impact, and each Sanctuary Scholarship reveals an extraordinary story of resilience, perseverance, and hope. Fatima Yousufi was the captain of the Afghanistan women's national soccer team. With the help of former Socceroo Craig Foster, Fatima and her teammates fled the country after the Taliban came to power in 2021. She is now free to play the sport she loves in Melbourne, while studying at Deakin.
When you're becoming a refugee, you're not going to have your past again. You will have new paths in your life and new things will happen. We are having the second chance to be alive.
Fatima Yousufi
Sanctuary Scholarship recipient
Interested in finding out more?
Donating to one of our key priority funds allows you to have an impact on Deakin in a way that's most meaningful to you. Learn more about how you can support transformative Deakin programs through regular giving.