From Biloela
to Business
Greta Dunne's journey to success
When Greta Dunne decided to take the plunge and enrol in university, she wasn’t 100 percent sure of what she wanted to do.
But after test driving two degrees in two years, she eventually found her groove.
“I finally settled into a Bachelor of Business, which I felt really suited me," she says.
"I really enjoyed learning about the management of people, business and livestock in agribusiness.”
Having grown up on a beef cattle property in the small town of Biloela, QLD, getting the opportunity to learn about the back-end of her family’s agribusiness helped put everything into perspective.
“It enabled me to understand the reasoning behind business decisions from many angles.”
“After knowing some family friends who attended UNE and could only say good things about it, I decided to come to a tour in September in 2019,” she says.
“After seeing the campus and colleges (one college in particular, DUVAL!) it felt like it was the right fit for me, with loads of opportunity in the Agricultural and Business space.”
Four years on, and it’s evident she made the right choice.
During her time at UNE, Greta has been awarded a New England Award, been recognised for her achievements as a college leader, and has had the opportunity to coach the champion UNE Intercollegiate Meat Judging Team alongside Emma Lynch and A/Prof Peter McGilchrist.
She’s also recently landed a job as a Technical Officer with the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries where she assists with data collection for research.
While she might make it look like an easy feat, Greta’s achievements are a testament to four years of hard work, teamwork, and learning the key lesson of study-life balance.
“In my early years at university, my Academic Mentor at the time really helped me plan, time manage and get my head around the work-life balance at university,” she says.
“He is one person who really pushed me through the early years of university and even after he left, always offered support and kind words.
“My friends and I also organised study sessions at college around the exam period.
"Although we didn't study the same subjects, it encouraged us to study and also take breaks such as going for a cheeky coffee run.”
It’s this involvement with the university community that she says is her top advice to other students who are just beginning their study journey.
“No matter how difficult it gets, just keep turning up,” she says.
“Turn up to class, turn up to training, turn up to community events.
"By just turning up, you never know where it may lead you and what opportunities may present themselves.
“Remember when the opportunities do present themselves, just say yes and get involved.”
Built with Shorthand