In recent years, Rebecca McCracken has spent countless hours travelling highways and byways to attend classes, furthering her goal of becoming a nurse.

But she says her drive to succeed would not have emerged without her initial enrolment in the STEPS program based at CQUniversity Gladstone. STEPS is the Skills for Tertiary Education Preparatory Studies program.

Rebecca McCracken

"Without STEPS I would never had gained the confidence to attend University and it really prepared me for academic writing and referencing ... it was a brilliant program," she said.

A former dental assistant, Rebecca started her academic journey travelling from her home in Boyne Island to Gladstone for STEPS. She was able to complete the first year of her Nursing degree by distance education but still needed to travel to Rockhampton Campus for residential schools.

More recently, after moving to Parkes in NSW with her husband and two children, she spent hours on the road to continue her bachelor degree study with Charles Sturt University at Dubbo and to attend practicum placements.

"The Dubbo campus of Charles Sturt University is 125km from my home in Parkes, and that's how far I travelled each way most days of the week to attend classes in 2008. I can't believe I did that myself."

Rebecca has accepted a Community Mental Health role with Greater Western Area Health Service and starts her new job at Parkes in February.

Once she settles in to to the new role, Rebecca hopes to have a bit more time for herself.

"I am slowly getting back into some gardening, and always have my nose in a good book. I also enjoy craft and most recently made a quite excellent sock monkey. I spend more time watching my kids play sport than playing myself, but I do enjoy walking and am an expert at Wii tennis," she says.