Written by Lauren Bridgfoot
Despite loving my current career path and completing my degree, this didn’t always feel like a possibility.
My second year of university was so full of adversity and challenges that I was fully prepared to drop out and find another career to pursue.
Second year of uni was meant to be the ‘new beginning’.
Oh, how this was wrong…
Not even a month into the new session and I caught the COVID-19 virus for the first time.
My god did it screw up my plans to be an academic weapon.
It put off my assessments so much that I couldn’t keep them from becoming a domino effect.
The classes were content heavy enough without having to get extensions for the assessments, so it soon became incredibly overwhelming.
It was around this time that the work-life balance was tipped far towards work, with limited endorphin pumping activities.
It got to the point where I had told my parents ‘I’m done. I’m dropping out. Let’s look at other options’.
But there was that little voice in the back of my head saying ‘you’re half-way through, just wait a little longer’.
And somehow, like some divine intervention, I was given an opportunity to live one of my life-long dreams, having unlimited access to horse riding.
I didn’t know if this was going to be a long-term arrangement, but I soon realised this was what I had been missing, that thing to look forward to each week.
I hadn’t realised just how important that study-life balance was.
That second session of second year turned out to be one of the best times of my life and most life changing.
Not only was I living my horse-girl dream, but the horse’s owner (shout out to Joe!) pushed me outside my comfort zone and made me take new opportunities – allowing me to develop on a much more personal level.
I was meeting new people, discovering new places, and learning to be myself on a different level. After the semester finished, I went on my first placement, and soon found my passion for working with people and horses.
With this newfound passion and interest, I completed my second placement with Charles Sturt at the intensive schools and it only grew from there.
I knew I wanted to work as a lecturer or coach, introducing people to the equine industry.
Early in third year one of my lecturers told me that Honours was a great entry into lecturing, and honestly, it scared me.
As a first year I swore I’d never do Honours, that I didn’t like science enough for that.
Well… times change.
I’m enrolled and jumping in head-first.
And on the side, I’m continuing to develop my skills and passion by coaching beginner riders and loving every minute.
Moral of the story: you never, ever know where you’re going to end up. Take every opportunity, it might just lead you to a future you never considered.
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