Graduate Diploma in Education, 2008

Master of Education (research specialisation), and Chancellor's Medallist, 2014.

University Lecturer and PhD student.

Both of the qualifications I have gained from USC have sent me on a trajectory I would never have imagined.

I chose education because it felt like the right choice for me in wanting to affect social change in some way. I felt education was a powerful tool to achieve this.

Completing my teacher qualification as a graduate student in 2007 allowed me to undertake several roles as a teacher in multiple contexts.

I worked in three different communities and remained passionate about the education approaches used in the schools. When I began my Masters study and my research journey, I knew I wanted to explore the connection between high numbers of Indigenous students and flexi (alternative) schools.

My research is very aligned with my values, and one of my core values is social justice, particularly in relation to Aboriginal Australia because of who I am.

Being a researcher is a position of privilege and great responsibility. To be able to contribute to the corpus of knowledge by bringing new ideas is amazing.

My PhD is my main focus at the moment. In some ways it’s an extension of my Masters study that I completed at USC.

I am hoping the findings first and foremost centre Indigenous voices in influencing policy and practice in flexi schools, and possibly in other education contexts.