“Nowra is a good balance between a big city and a country town. It also has beaches nearby.”
Alena grew up in Russia, where she studied Economics at university in Moscow before beginning her career as an Accountant with two major airlines. In their late twenties, she and her husband, an Aircraft Engineer, began looking for opportunities to move out of Russia in pursuit of a safer lifestyle and more promising future for the children they hoped to have one day.
Her husband arrived in Australia first, securing a position in Wollongong, and Alena followed soon after, adjusting to a vastly different environment from what she had left behind. With limited English, she volunteered at The Salvation Army, hoping to meet new people and improve her conversational skills. She also attended weekly English language classes, quickly building connections and finding support in a friendly and welcoming community.
As her husband’s career grew, the couple considered where they might want to settle permanently in Australia. They knew city life wasn’t for them, so they explored smaller towns where they could find a balance of work, community, and nature. Nowra made the shortlist and, ultimately, became their new home. Alena explains, “Nowra is a good balance between a big city and a country town. It also has beaches nearby.”
As her language skills and confidence grew, Alena felt the familiar pull back to her career. She found her first role in Australia in Accounts Administration at a local law firm – a valuable step in learning the ropes of the Australian business world. Realising that to fulfill her goal of becoming a Chartered Accountant (CA), she’d need a local degree, Alena enrolled in the Commerce program at the University of Wollongong. She balanced her studies with work and family responsibilities, attending the Shoalhaven Campus.
“It meant less stress, less driving, and fewer people in the classroom going to the Shoalhaven campus,” she recalls.
While pregnant with her second child, Alena decided to put her career on hold to focus on her young family and complete her degree. The timing worked out well, as she could study online during the COVID-19 pandemic, eventually graduating in 2022.
Alena secured her first Australian position as an Accountant in Warrawong, but after a year, the commute proved challenging with a young family. Seeking a role closer to home, she turned her focus to the public sector, motivated by a desire to make a meaningful impact. “I wanted to be useful to people, so I decided that the public sector would be best for me,” Alena explains. She joined Financial Dynamics, where she quickly felt a sense of belonging. “I feel very much in my happy place here.”
With her daughters in kindergarten and daycare, Alena appreciates her family-focused workplace and the understanding of her Directors, who allow her to adjust her hours as needed. “As long as the work is done, I can leave if something comes up with my kids. They understand because they have families too. If one of my girls is upset and needs extra time at drop-off, I can just text to say I’ll be a little late,” she shares, relieved.
Alena now has her eyes set on achieving her Chartered Accountant qualification by 2026, and Financial Dynamics is actively supporting her on this journey. “I have a mentor who helps me, and the team offers many training opportunities. Once a month, we gather to get updates on taxes and discuss different subjects and cases. I am learning so much.”
Today, Alena is grateful to have built a home in Australia, where she can nurture her career and family side by side. For her, Australia has become the place she dreamed of – one where she can look forward to a safe and fulfilling future with her family.
