A native of Afghanistan, Iranian born Shaqaeq was always curious and enthusiastic about learning. Despite a number of challenges she faced, she refused to give up and continued to pursue her education as much as she could. After a long journey from Iran to Australia, Shaqaeq grasped at the opportunity to further her education through Academy Xi’s User Experience Design course. Here, Shaqaeq was able to apply Design Thinking principles in numerous aspects of her life.

Since completing the course Shaqaeq is now the Founder of Directa Australia — a resettlement organisation that supports migrants and refugees reaching their full potential in Australia.