How long were you studying for and what degree did you complete?

 I started studying a Bachelor of Psychological Science after my gap year in 2019, after receiving early entry into the course. After a trimester, I quickly realised that the course wasn’t for me - the thought of completing statistics-based units got to me!

I then transferred to a Bachelor of Social Work, inspired partly by my Aunty, who has worked in the profession for many years and now has her Masters in Social Work. I undertook year 10 work experience at her women’s health organisation in Melbourne and everything seemed to fall into place.

During my 5 years of study, I completed most of the course online, due to the COVID restrictions in 2020 and lockdowns preventing face-to-face learning and college being shut down. I found the online study with UNE to be very flexible, and enjoyable

Tell us a little about yourself?

 I grew up in Coffs Harbour and during my Year 12 studies, my school’s career advisor suggested that I apply for Early Entry at UNE. I had never heard of Armidale and wasn’t planning on going to university, however, after my gap year, I was grateful that I had received early entry and had deferred the offers.

It only took one visit to Armidale, UNE, and the residential colleges to realise that it was where I needed to be. I loved the appeal of being close to home, studying at a university that was rural, and the idea of going to college and being independent. And Duval (college) was so welcoming and special. It felt right from the start.

Tell us about your experience working at Oorala?

I commenced working at Oorala in February this year as a Project Officer in the Student Recruitment team.

I never thought I would find myself in a job where I would genuinely enjoy coming to work every day.

It connects my knowledge of entry requirements, and experience of living and studying on campus, and incorporates some of the skills I have acquired from my degree studies.

Expos and Travel

My colleague and I often travel to career expos and university information sessions to showcase and represent the Oorala Aboriginal Centre, and to offer information on UNE and the Oorala Centre to prospective First Nations students.

We also make connections with careers advisors and Aboriginal Education Officers if they are in attendance as well.

In this photo (see above), I was attending the Northwest Regional Careers Expo held in Tamworth. We then travelled down to Maitland, for the Hunter Valley Careers Expo. It’s such a fun part of the job as we get to talk to students and build connections before they - hopefully - apply to UNE and Oorala!

What has been your favourite unit? 

I genuinely enjoyed all of the units that were in the course, as the Social Work team at UNE was so engaging and supportive. Some of my favourite units were the counselling-based ones (HSCS-coded units), as I found them to be very practical and provided me with some great direct practice skills.

What have you learnt about yourself through university? 

I have learned that I procrastinate way too much, but eventually, I always get there in the end! Time management skills were definitely needed throughout.

I also learned self-confidence along the way, as when I first started out studying, I didn’t believe that I would be able to complete a degree as I struggled academically at school and during the HSC. I learned to ask for help and support when I needed it, and that was something that really helped me through as well. Uni taught me a lot about patience and the importance of a strong family and friendship circle.

How did you manage your work-life balance during studies?

When I was in college I played a bit of mixed netball, volleyball, and soccer, and made use of the free SportUNE gym membership included in my college fees, which I loved.

After moving into town and predominantly studying online, I found that reformer pilates, and going on walks out at the pine forest really helped me to stay sane during the final years of my course.

I was studying around work commitments but found it really useful working on the Future Student Team at the university, as I could go and study after work in the library, and it was flexible too.