How can you juggle uni with family commitments? Pursuing a career change with a six-year-old and young twins is challenging — but for Health Sciences student Mina, the Carnaby Kids program at Curtin Stadium has made study as a parent possible. | Read time: 3 min
After having twins a year and a half ago, Mina was inspired to switch careers from engineering to maternity care and women’s health. And so, she found herself at Curtin, studying health science with the intent to pursue a Master’s in Midwifery.
When she had her twins, Mina faced a difficult pregnancy, especially being in a new country with only her partner and six-year-old son. After her twins’ birth, they spent more than 40 days in the hospital ICU. Spending a lot of time with midwives, she felt inspired to pursue a career in midwifery.
“I thought midwifery would be really rewarding and empowering, as midwives make the parents happy by taking care of their newborns.”
But as a parent and a student, Mina no longer has the luxury she once did to plan her schedule solely around studying. Organisation for Mina is crucial now that she also has to factor in her kids. She needs to have a plan for every hour of the day – and stick to it.
When Mina first began her degree at Curtin, she was struggling to organise her timetable, especially around her son’s Easter break from school – she had to be at uni and her partner had to be at work. Luckily, one of the mums at her son’s school told her about a holiday program at Curtin. “It was the perfect option for me because I’m a student here and it would save me so much time, so much energy, so much money.”
That’s where Carnaby Kids comes in.
To other people, it’s just a school holiday program, but for Mina, it’s a supportive system that gives her the opportunity to study. “Carnaby Kids is something that makes studying at university possible for me.”
During school holidays, Mina drops her six-year-old son, Parsa, off at 8:30am and picks him up between 3:30 and 4:30pm, while her young twins are at daycare. At Carnaby Kids, Parsa can participate in fun sports, games and activities with other kids his age, many of which he might not have been exposed to otherwise.
“Before coming to Carnaby Kids, my son knew that he liked playing soccer. But, after he started coming, he was like ‘I want to do fencing and badminton!’ If he hadn’t come to Carnaby Kids, he wouldn’t know that he had these kinds of interests as well.”
Being held right on campus at Curtin Stadium, Carnaby Kids makes it easy for students balancing parenthood to stay close to their young ones during the day. The program is designed to help kids like Parsa from ages 5 – 13 get active, build confidence, make new friends and develop new skills.
As Mina progresses through her degree, she hopes to become a compassionate and skilled midwife. “I want to combine my personal experience with personal knowledge to empower and advocate for other women. It’s so impactful because it’s a vulnerable time for you and your baby. I think I will be good at it because of my own experience; I can relate to them.”
Mina’s passion for midwifery alone is sure to make her an amazing midwife, but with a supportive system like Carnaby Kids, she’s set up for a successful career ahead.
Mina’s advice for other parents to balance uni life and family commitments is all about planning ahead.
- #1 Organise a weekly schedule and communicate with your partner openly about responsibilities during the week – especially about the kids.
- #2 Remember that you’re not perfect and it’s okay to ask for help when you need it. “Some days are harder than others, and I shouldn’t blame myself for it.”
- #3 Use supportive systems like Carnaby Kids – especially if, like Mina, you don’t have any family members nearby.
Carnaby Kids is a school holiday program children aged 5 to 13 packed with fun, energy and a variety of sports and activities in safe, inclusive and supportive environment. Register for the upcoming Djeran season, running Tuesday 7 April – Friday 17 April 2026.
