Success is to be happy, healthy and aiming to achieve your goals.

Danielle Goolagong is a dynamic, young 24-year-old Wiradjuri woman living in Orange. She has a commitment and passion to progress Aboriginal issues and make a difference. In 2009 Danielle graduated from the Bachelor of Health Science (Mental Health). She studied this by distance education, through the Djirruwang program at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga. Danielle has become a role model for other young Aboriginal women. She has a son Noah and plays rugby union for local and regional teams. Danielle worked with the Rural Women’s Network from January to September 2008.

What gave you the motivation/inspiration to follow your dream?

My uni course focused on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health, past policies and procedures that have affected the status of our people, and how we as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health professionals can help improve and move our people forward in a culturally safe, appropriate and effective way. My passion is to acknowledge the past and build a positive way for the future by contributing to a brighter future for my people. My dream is to work in outback communities that have a large Aboriginal population and make positive changes for individuals and their communities. I don’t want to make huge changes, just small significant ones. I plan to engage with one individual and one community at a time. By focusing on individual needs, I can work more effectively and achieve real outcomes for that person and community. I hope this will then start a ripple effect, creating bigger and broader improvements in the living and health standards of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

At what point did you realise that your dream was actually possible and what was it that made you think you could really do it?

I have always thought my goals would be possible if I worked hard and stayed focused and positive.

When you were a child, what did you want to ‘be’ when you grew up?

When I was a child I always wanted to be a book author. I think I wrote about two good stories when I was in Year 3 which received great feedback from my teacher, and from then on I thought I would like to be a famous book author.

How did your childhood influence you in later life?

I think I am old enough now to really appreciate what my mum did as a single mother raising my brother and me and trying to give us every opportunity to succeed.

Who are your role models?

I have a few different role models, naturally the famous ones, but the most significant would have to be my mother. She is there through thick and thin and if I can raise my son half as well as she raised my brother and me, I will be proud of myself!

What does success mean to you?

Success is to be happy, healthy and aiming to achieve your goals.

What has been one of the biggest barriers you have had to face, what happened, and how did you overcome it?

I'll never forget the dayI brought my son home from the hospital as a newborn baby! He was born 11 weeks premature so he was in hospital for about two months before we could bring him home. He was so tiny! I was excited, nervous, happy, scared. It was a wonderful mix of emotions! During the weeks while he was in hospital, I found it really hard. Luckily I have a wonderful support network which I heavily relied on. They made sure I stayed positive and that I looked after myself, and they were there when I needed a shoulder to cry on.

I have had to face a few barriers along the way - some took me longer to wake up to but I have always overcome them by staying true to myself, working hard, and remaining focused and positive.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years time? What is your vision for the future?

My ten year plan is to be working with outback Aboriginal communities and still making change by contributing to improving the mental health status of my people and lessening the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous health and overall standards of living. One day I also hope to travel around Australia with my family, not only to see all the tourist attractions but to learn more about my cultural background and heritage.

What would you like to say to other women who may be just starting out on a Daring to Dream journey?

Take time out for yourself, visualise what you really want to achieve, work out how you are going to achieve it and take one step at a time.