Kintsugi Heroes
Jeni Vercoe · 43 min
After 16 years of marriage left her with zero self-esteem, no career, and no sense of self, Jeni Vercoe entered nursing at 40 and rebuilt her identity from the ground up — proving it is never too late to find yourself.
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Jeni Vercoe wanted to be a nurse from childhood but never believed she was smart enough to try. She married at 22, had three sons, and spent 14 years at home managing everything while her ex-husband, a high-ranking police officer, was rarely there. After 16 years of marriage, she had no job, no career, and no sense of who she was beyond being a mother and wife. When the marriage ended, she knew she had to show her boys that you can get knocked down and get back up. She also knew she needed to find herself.
Seeing an ad for an enrolled nursing course in the newspaper changed everything. At 40, with zero work history and zero confidence, Jeni applied and was accepted. She finished the 12-month course with the second-highest mark in New South Wales. Then she decided to go further and applied for university to become a registered nurse, completing a two-year degree while raising teenage sons and watching her father die of cancer just as she graduated. She kept going. She worked in operating theatre, then completed a graduate certificate in anaesthetics and recovery online, all while showing her boys that it was possible to rebuild.
Jeni now works as a nurse in day surgery theatre. Looking back, she says the biggest gift was finding her own strength and learning who she really is. She tells anyone doubting themselves to trust that inner voice and not let anyone steal their joy. Even a tiny flame, she says, can become a roaring fire if you fan it.
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Kintsugi Heroes · Registered Australian not-for-profit · kintsugiheroes.com.au ↗