Ethiopian IT student Sara Faisal is a trailblazer in more ways than one. The first female in her family to pursue postgraduate study, Sara left her home country for the first time to undertake a Master of Information Technology (specialising in Information Systems) at Macquarie.

She decided to study internationally after realising the great potential for IT industry in Ethiopia.

“After working in IT in Ethiopia, I realised that many businesses weren’t fully utilising IT as business resource,” she says.

“I decided to take advantage of the opportunities and give something back to the industry.”

Macquarie recognised Sara’s entrepreneurship and academic achievements with a full MUIS scholarship.

“When I received the email saying I had been granted an MUIS, my initial reaction was shock,” Sara exclaims. “I kept re-reading the email, going through every line… I was just so excited and so honoured.”

Sara was relieved to find a welcoming community on her arrival at Macquarie.

“This is my first time overseas, so I didn’t know what to expect,” she says. “But from my very first impression at the airport, it was so refreshing and friendly… it was a very warm welcome.”

She says her classes at Macquarie have been eye-opening.

“They provide not only a theoretical aspect but also practical aspect. Its exactly what you need, so you can use what you’ve learned on the job.”

“There is also a lot of group work and its great to participate in knowledge sharing with people from all over the world.”

Sara’s long-term plan is to gain international work experience and then return to her home country to start her own business.

Read more about the Master of Information Technology.