When I first started working in the higher education sector in 2010, many of the challenges faced by students who may have experienced estrangement from close family members were hidden.
Very little was known about how the intersection of familial estrangement and life as a student impacted upon their financial, social and psychological wellbeing.
We did not understand how a detachment from mechanisms of familial support played out in their experiences as learners on our campuses, or how an amalgamation of associated pressures presented nuanced and complex challenges which often remained unrecognised and hidden.
Perhaps most importantly, there was very little recognition of how incredibly resilient, resourceful, and motivated students who might navigate such terrain tended to be.
