The life-changing experience of immersion

Our students who come back from immersion experiences – to Central Australia, Solomon Islands or South Africa – often talk about it being a life-changing experience. 

For at least one of our ex-students who went to South Africa, it certainly was. Stephanie Vaccher, of the Class of 2010 was inspired into a research career in microbiology because she saw first hand the devastating effects of HIV-AIDS on the communities she visited on immersion. We hardly hear anything about AIDS anymore; it has become a manageable disease – in the West. But in poor, developing countries where people cannot afford the anti-retroviral medication it is still a different story.  

Stephanie has recently completed her doctoral studies and for the last 18 months, has been working for the Health Department in Papua New Guinea, on childhood vaccination programs.

Recently, Stephanie spent two weeks in Solomon Islands, on similar work, and was able to catch up with the Dominican sisters. In 2018, Stephanie  was awarded a fellowship by the Ex-Students’ Association to live and work in Solomons Islands for six weeks. Last week, she visited the Dominican Sisters in Honiara and will meet up with Sr Marie Tora in Gizo and Sr Loretta in Auki as she travels from island to island.  

She is pictured here with Prudence, who is exploring life as a sister, with Sisters Anastasia, Dora, Teresa and Catherine. 

Jane Sulis
Outreach Coordinator