Written by Tianna Parubotchy
As my journey as Charlie Editor and a Charles Sturt student comes to an end (at least for now), I’ve had a chance to reflect on what Charles Sturt has meant for me.
When I finished high school, I weighed up a lot of degrees at a lot of different unis, but I chose Theatre Media at Charles Sturt Bathurst – the same uni my Nan and Uncle studied at over 20 years earlier. It was also only 45 minutes from home, to my mum’s delight!
Studying a practical degree at a smaller university meant instant connections, lots of laughs and friendships I still cherish years later.
Then COVID hit. My last year of study was online, isolated and, at times, hard to push through. It really was the passion and dedication of my lecturers that kept me going. I got to graduate on time and with a new appreciation for Zoom!
I met my partner (another Charles Sturt student!) and, after uni, we travelled, lived overseas and explored a lot of different jobs.
Life landed me back in Bathurst, and when I saw an opening as a Charles Sturt Student Central Advisor, I went for it.
By getting to talk to students one-on-one about their experiences, I realised my university student journey wasn’t done yet. It led me to begin a Master of Teaching and opened the door to an exciting new opportunity as Charlie Editor!
Studying a degree based on theory and research was definitely a change from my Bachelor’s degree, but every challenge has made the experience so much more rewarding.
And working for Charlie has been everything I could want in a student job. Working with a passionate team to share real student stories has been so meaningful and allowed me to appreciate everything Charles Sturt has changed for me and others.
So, as I walk off into the sunset as a master’s graduate, new teacher and engaged to my university sweetheart – I couldn’t be happier. And I have Charles Sturt, the Charlie blog and the whole student community to thank for that!
Charlie blog is a SSAF initiative.
