Friendship is the cement that holds the world together — that is certainly true for Sisilia Ajang and Mary Wagner. Ajang arrived in Toowoomba from Sudan when she first met Wagner, a philanthropist and local identity.

“Back at home I did my education in Arabic and didn’t have a background in English,” Ajang said. “When I came here, I wasn’t able to speak with my friend Mary, but I learned the language gradually. We would always have fun, even when I didn’t know English – she would come to my house and ask what I needed.”

Ajang had big aspirations, but concern for her sister in Sudan occupied her thoughts. “Mary asked me what was on my mind. I told her that my sister and her family were struggling and I was always thinking about them. She put in a big effort to bring my sister and her family here – and that allowed me to recover. After that, I said ‘I want to go university’.”

It wasn’t long until Ajang was on the path to achieving her dreams, enrolling in a Bachelor of Nursing at the University of Southern Queensland. It was during this time Wagner gave her a valuable piece of advice: “She said to me ‘If you find something hard, and put the thought in your mind that you can’t do it – then you won’t be able to do it, you will be defeated.  But if you say: I will do it, and keep preparing and work hard, you can achieve anything.”

Last month, Wagner was in the crowd as Ajang crossed the stage at the University of Southern Queensland’s winter graduation ceremony. “Mary was beside me the whole time. She is the reason why Toowoomba stands out from other communities in Australia; she really worked to make Toowoomba welcoming for us. I was very lucky to choose the University of Southern Queensland; there was plenty of support. All you have to do is ask and you get the help you need.”

Next week marks the start of the University of Southern Queensland’s 2021 Ipswich Spring Graduation Ceremonies, where hundreds of students will celebrate their academic achievements with family and friends.

Readers also enjoyed our story about Technology Award Finalists