Education and Professional Studies Alumni Update

2015 - Master of Education – Griffith University

2014 - Graduate Diploma of Education – Griffith University

2013 - Bachelor of Arts in Education – Griffith University

My mother was a teacher, and I was constantly exposed to her high-quality teaching practices. My parents like most, are my biggest supporters and with their unwavering support encouraged me to pursue what I was passionate about.

Through high school I developed a passion for coaching students which led me to consider teaching as a profession. While University and teacher training was not necessarily an option straight out of high school, I chose to study at Georgian College in Canada to complete a diploma in Early Childhood Education. This encouraged me to persevere and work towards making my dream of attending university a reality. Georgian College in Canada and Griffith University had developed a partnership for Canadian students to study in Australia.

One of the proudest moments in my life was receiving the acceptance letter to Griffith University and to eventually complete two master’s degrees with a third on the way! This was particularly meaningful to me as I had been diagnosed as a child with a language learning disability.  Ignoring advice that I did not have the ability to become a teacher, I had now defied the odds and opinions of others and did just that! These experiences ultimately pushed me to pursue the goal of working with students with disabilities to achieve their potential.

I have been working at Tagai State College since 2015 where I am a Student with Disabilities teacher based on Badu Island. I have worked on other islands as a primary generalist teacher and in short-term acting Principal roles. My current role involves travel to other islands where I provide support to Principals and teachers. I particularly love the role of working with teachers and principals to achieve educational outcomes for our students and celebrating their achievements whether big or small. I am fortunate to work with some inspiring teachers who have chosen to teach in the Torres Strait for a range of reasons, such as to be closer to family or to experience remote living/teaching. Another part of my role that I love is working with families to support their children in school and community. This often involves building strong trusting relationships with the family and their extended family. I have been fortunate enough within my role to be part of traditional language projects to increase students with disabilities access while developing curriculum with community members to incorporate traditional knowledge into the curriculum. In my spare time, I have been writing science curriculum for our college.

Dr. Wendi Beamish, for the last few years has taken the time to develop my academic writing. She is also a mentor, whose unwavering commitment to supporting my personal and professional success is remarkable. She has not only pushed me to see beyond what I thought I was capable of but helped me develop the confidence to see what I can achieve.

Dr. Kay Hartwig is another remarkable mentor who watched out for all the international students when I first started at Griffith years ago. I have fond memories of the Canadian’s drop in with TimTams and hot drinks.  While she did not teach me, her role within my first few years at Griffith, was invaluable to my success, setting the stage for extending my studies past my generalist teaching qualifications.

Through Griffith University’s teaching placement, I was able to experience teaching in the Cape York for my final practicum. I had a demanding and eye-opening experience that gave me the confidence to take on a remote contract on Warraber Island in the Torres Strait. The placement experience gave me the tools and confidence to envision teaching and living in remote communities.