While many of us feel squeamish at the sight of blood, Melissa Di Francesco is fascinated by the secrets it reveals.
This week the 20-year old will not only graduate with a Diploma in Laboratory Technology but has gained entry to the bachelor’s degree and landed a job in the industry.
Di Francesco’s RMIT journey began three years ago after enrolling in a Certificate IV in Tertiary Preparation before progressing to a Certificate IV in Laboratory Techniques.
Now graduating with a Diploma in Laboratory Technology, Di Francesco said she'd enjoyed everything about studying at RMIT.
"I've really liked the hands-on aspect, the environment and the friendships I’ve made, which I'll maintain for a lifetime," she said.
Program Manager in the School of Vocational Education, Engineering and Health Science, Penny Tresise, said Di Francesco's positive approach had stood out from the start of her Diploma in Laboratory Technology.
“One of the brilliant things about Melissa is the way she’s built her skills, confidence and personal development right through to achieving a work placement facilitated by RMIT’s Work Integrated Learning (WIL) program,” she said.
The young student successfully applied for and completed a 30-day WIL placement at Melbourne Pathology (Chemical Pathology), which she credits for helping land her a job in the industry.
“I was quite nervous when I first started the placement at Melbourne Pathology, but I worked hard and asked lots of questions and that helped me gain confidence in what I was doing,” she said.
“I then applied for a lab assistant role there and after the interview when they offered me the job I was so excited I jumped in the air.”
Now Di Francesco is planning her next step, enrolling in a Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Laboratory Medicine) to achieve her ultimate dream.
“I want to become a medical scientist and my goal is to become a haematologist, studying and analysing blood to diagnosis diseases such as cancer,” she said.
“Blood fascinates me because it’s the main core of life and no-one really sees it like that. It’s what keeps us going and that’s what makes it so interesting.”
Congratulations to RMIT’s Class of 2020. This year’s graduating class are like no other: strong, resilient, and inspired. RMIT is excited to welcome the graduates into our global alumni network, spanning more than 140 countries and 400,000 alumni.
Story: Amelia Harris and Diana Robertson
