Hard graft pays off for new Aussie citizen

ALMOST 30 new citizens gathered in the Lismore City Council chambers yesterday to take the pledge to Australia.

Swasti Singh was one of 27 new citizens at the citizenship ceremony led by mayor Jenny Dowell at the Lismore City Council chambers yesterday. Picture: Cathryn McLauchlan

ALMOST 30 new citizens gathered in the Lismore City Council chambers yesterday to take the pledge to Australia, granting them the opportunity to vote at the upcoming election.

Swasti Singh, originally from India, was one of those Australians taking the pledge.

She said she arrived nine years ago and has been living in Lismore for eight of those years.

"When I arrived I had only $900 in my pocket and I had to pay $40,000 university fees," Ms Singh said.

"So I worked part-time for 20 hours a week.

"I struggled, I worked hard, I studied for two years."

Ms Singh studied a Masters degree in public health.

In that time she got a promotion at her part-time workplace, eventually applied for temporary residency, started volunteer work and moved on to do new jobs.

"Now I'm working as a clinical health ... evaluation officer," she said. "And I've got citizenship, so I'm very happy."

Ms Singh will never forget her first night in Australia.

"When I arrived at Brisbane airport there was a bus to take me to Lismore, and I was just crying the whole time ... I arrived here at 11pm," she said.

"The girls from university were supposed to pick me up from the transit centre but they forgot.

"So my first impression was 'they are careless', but soon I realised they were all very friendly and very helpful.

"They brought food for me, they took my luggage to my room for me."

Ms Singh's next plan is to build her home in Bexhill.