Our 2021 December graduates

Being the change: a valedictorian at the vanguard

Making the classroom a safe and accepting place is the goal for transgender University of Queensland teaching graduate, Genevieve James.

The School of Education valedictorian began her gender transition in her final year at UQ, only presenting as her true self in her final teaching placement.

“I feel like I am at the vanguard of something important,” Miss James said.

“Whilst other members of the LGBTQ+ community assuredly have and will continue to compose the education landscape, there is a whole different level of visibility with being a trans teacher.”

“There is a wonderful saying one of my LBGTQ+ teaching friends told me, ‘You can’t be what you can’t see’.

"For this reason it is so important that I am honest and open about who I am, so that students who might be questioning their own gender might feel understood and valid.”

The importance of transition was crystalised by an earlier school placement, where she opted to present as male after considering her options at an early stage during her transition.

“The school was lovely, the teachers were lovely, and my supervising teacher was an absolute rock star, but every day I would come home and maybe shave my legs, or shave my arms, or do anything that would make me feel like me, that would make me feel like Gen,” she said.

Being a teacher was a lifelong dream for the English and Drama graduate which was confirmed in secondary school when a few friends struggled with their studies.

“I just noticed the impact that I was able to have with a few of my friends who needed to do maths to continue their careers,” Miss James said.

“I was pretty good at maths and I gave them some tutoring to the point where they said I was the person who got them into engineering, and it just felt rewarding to have an impact like that.

“I’ve always had a passion for drama and literature, so the idea of fostering that passion in young people as a career just seemed like a dream come true for me.”

She said being selected valedictorian was an unexpected honour.

“I’ve never been an ambitious person, so I didn’t have the drive to become top of the class, but to be recognised by my teachers, the school of Education, and my cohort feels pretty incredible and humbling,” Miss James said.

“For my speech, I’ll likely discuss how for gender diverse students and, in fact, students of all stripes, school can be an important place of safety and belonging for them.

“Therefore, as teachers we have a responsibility to strive to make our classrooms accepting, welcoming, and comfortable so that all students that we teach have a place that they can feel is their own and where they can be themselves.”

And while Miss James doesn’t doubt there might be challenging times ahead, she is determined – with the firm backing of her family, partner and friends – to advocate for herself and be the change.

“I hope that I can prove to be a good teacher and advocate for gender- diverse students and staff in the education sector.

“Whilst I am not solely my gender identity, I believe being gender diverse brings something important and unique to whichever school I am lucky enough to become a part of.”

Global health advocate celebrates graduation

Children without access to education in his birth nation of India were the spark for Unni Susil Kumar’s chosen career of medicine.

Mr Kumar migrated to Australia when he was 11 years old, and completed his Doctor of Medicine at The University of Queensland, a world away from his early memories.

“When I was 21 years old my father and his friends started a school for HIV positive children in a small village in rural India,” he said.

“Children who were the product of sex workers were not allowed to be educated in the public school, due to the stigma associated with HIV and prostitution.

“I had the opportunity to meet these children, and their dreams to be doctors, engineers and policemen remain with me today.

“These children are my greatest motivation for creating change in the world, so no more are born into a life without hope or opportunity through no fault or choice of their own,” he said.

Mr Kumar began his career as a pharmacist in Cooktown, Far North Queensland.

“This is where I served six Indigenous communities and worked closely with the Cooktown Community Action Network to provide multi-disciplinary services,” he said.

“I chose a career in medicine because of my passion for public health and health leadership.

“It comes from an interest in people, the way we interact and the paths we forge together.

“A career in medicine is a privilege because people trust you when they’re most vulnerable and you generally have the tools to help them.”

He said he was grateful for the experience of living in two countries with contrasting cultures and challenges.

“Growing up in India and moving to Australia has allowed me to understand the true impacts of colonisation in India and the privileges western countries enjoy,” Mr Kumar said.

“I believe this has also given me a sense of responsibility to continue working for global equity.

“Global health is an incredibly complex platform where politics, the planet and humans interact to create the conditions we live in.”

To that end, he created a podcast called The Global Health Advocate, where  global health workers have a voice to share their local experiences.

“I think one of the most important lessons I have learned is that equity will come from diverse voices and experiences.

“I'm currently a Board Director with Towards International Medical Equity.

“Our mission is to equip tomorrow's health leaders with adequate experience and knowledge to lift vulnerable populations towards achieving global health equity.

“I look forward to connecting with other heath leaders in my ongoing pursuit of global equity and philanthropy.”

Twice the teaching power

Identical twins Catherine and Elizabeth Vandeleur have more in common than just their looks and birth date –they also chose the same career.

Graduating from The University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Education (Primary) (Honours), this dynamic duo decided their dream at the tender age of six.

Catherine said much of their childhood was spent playing ‘teachers’ with family and friends and sometimes even imaginary students.

“As we got older, we moved from imaginative play to real life practice, but always felt a sense of belonging when becoming a teacher,” she said.

“We get such a thrill from working with young children and seeing their ‘lightbulb’ moments as they expand their minds.

“It is a special feeling knowing the hard work you have put in to helping that student has led them to success.”

Elizabeth said they’d always been surrounded by great teachers and role models; both in their family and in their early years at school.

“Growing up as identical twins we have always had a very strong and close relationship, so it was a given that we would follow the same career path,” she said.

Being part of a team had many benefits when it came to study, including always having someone to brainstorm ideas with and engage in conceptual discussions.

It did however bring with it some challenges, mainly in terms of creating unique work, given the twins think in a very similar way.

“We would forever be accusing each other of stealing our ‘good ideas’, leading to a banter of who came up with the idea first,” Elizabeth said.

“But this only strengthened our thinking processes by encouraging us to create a depth of ideas, enough for us both to draw upon.”

COVID-19 created some obstacles when it came to teaching placements, with many schools switching to home learning.

However, Catherine and Elizabeth embraced the challenge, choosing to see the positives.

“Lockdown encouraged us to think of alternate teaching methods rather than rely on the traditional abundance of physical resources,” Catherine said.

“We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to complete some pracs with distance education schools, and these experiences enlightened us to the many flexible learning environments that further knowledge and encourage independent learning.”

Elizabeth said educators were exposed to various digital resources like teacher-focused websites, interactive games and online activities, and was confident this would make them both better teachers.

“We will be able to integrate learning, be more resourceful in the classroom and have different avenues to draw upon to support students’ learning needs, interests and development towards the ever-changing digital age,” she said.

Now that their studies are complete, the Misses Vandeleur are keen to put their learning to good use, applying for jobs as primary teachers next year at the start what they hope will be a long and rewarding career.

Advanced Business graduates set to make major milestone 

The University of Queensland’s first cohort of students from the Bachelor of Advanced Business (Honours) program will graduate this month after four years of study. 

The program was introduced in 2018, with an intake of 40 students eager to gain the expertise required to succeed in the business world.

Program leader Associate Professor Len Coote said the Bachelor of Advanced Business (Honours) produced high-quality graduates with both broad and specialised skills. 

“This is the first program that brings together all of UQ Business School’s undergraduate offerings,” Dr Coote said. 

“Students aren’t limited to majoring in a particular field; instead, they can develop knowledge and skills across several different areas. 

"That comprehensiveness is something employers are calling for – they want graduates to have breadth and depth, and ours certainly do. 

“A number of students from this first cohort already have job offers from the ‘big four’ professional accounting and consultancy firms – Deloitte, EY, KPMG, and PwC.” 

Soon-to-be graduate Ekta Gangakhedkar said the program’s flexibility allowed her to explore her interests and taught her to be open to all possibilities. 

“I really enjoyed how diverse the options were, as opposed to other programs where your path is predetermined,” Ms Gangakhedkar said. 

“There’s lots of room for exploration – you can combine different domains together to create your own unique pathway.” 

The program offers eight majors, including Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Business Analytics, Finance and Marketing, allowing students to tailor their studies to suit their goals. 

Study aside, Ms Gangakhedkar said she valued the friendships she had made with her fellow students and lecturers. 

“Our cohort was small, so it forced us to get to know, help and support each other,” she said. 

“We have also developed a personal relationship with our lecturers. 

“It was Dr Coote who signalled to us that we should look into management consulting, and it’s so nice that I’ve managed to secure a consulting job at Deloitte after he suggested it four years ago.” 

Like Ms Gangakhedkar, classmate Ned Powell has landed a graduate job as a consultant at one of the big four firms, KPMG. 

Mr Powell said the majors he selected and the work experience opportunities offered were pivotal in securing his graduate role. 

“The industry placement courses demonstrated what working in the real world was like, but I think we learned to love the work through our majors,” he said. 

Mr Powell also stressed the importance of keeping an open mind and advised future Bachelor of Advanced Business (Honours) students not to “pigeonhole themselves” into one area of study. 

“Your first year can be overwhelming, but my advice is to take into account what the program has to offer and think broadly,” he said.