Julie’s degree leads to her dream teaching career

It took Julie Streader until her mid-40s to finally follow her dream of becoming a teacher.

Now the Bachelor of Education (First Class Honours) student, who will graduate with hundreds of other Southern Cross University students this Saturday, September 19, is already putting her new skills into practice as a casual teacher at Ballina Public School.

“It has been jolly hard work over the past four years of fulltime study but I am thrilled to finally be a teacher,” Julie said.

“I started doing an education degree 22 years ago but through personal circumstances at the time I dropped out of University. I married, had three beautiful children and had a career in conveyancing.

“Then, when my oldest daughter was 16 and was trying to decide what she wanted to do with her life, I realised that I had never done what I always wanted to do with my own life – become a teacher.

“We had just moved to Ballina and when I realised how close we were to Southern Cross University, I decided to enrol.

“It has been very interesting being part of a cohort of students of widely varying ages and backgrounds – all with different learning styles and needs.

“There is a time in your life when you are ready for study and prepared to do it to the best of your ability. It doesn’t matter when that time comes.

“Now that I am in the classroom I find that being a parent and having a bit of age, maturity and life experience definitely does enrich your teaching skills.”

Julie said she had received a great deal of support from her husband and children during her studies and that they were very proud of her and looking forward to the graduation ceremony.

Her parents will travel from Victoria to be at her graduation ceremony. “It’s quite a big deal for them, too. My brother and sister graduated from their university studies many years ago and although I was a bit slower getting around to it, so have I now,” Julie said.

Photo: Julie Streader with her daughter, Gabrielle and husband, Doug, who will attend her graduation ceremony on Saturday.

GRADUATION CEREMONY DETAILS

SATURDAY, 19TH SEPTEMBER, 2009

9.30am

Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Gnibi College of Indigenous Australian Peoples
School of Arts and Social Sciences
School of Education
School of Environmental Science and Management
School of Health and Human Sciences

Occasional Address
Mr Geoffrey Hannah, Churchill Fellow, will deliver the Occasional Address.

1.30pm

Faculty of Business and Law

Graduate College of Management
School of Commerce and Management
School of Law and Justice
School of Tourism and Hospitality Management

Occasional Address
Mr Patrick Grier, director of several corporate boards and member of several health care sector advisory committees, will deliver the Occasional Address.

839 graduands will be conferred by University Council on Friday, September 18, 2009. The graduation ceremonies will be held on Saturday, September 19 in the Whitebrook Theatre, Y-block, at the Lismore campus. Please note that entry into the Whitebrook Theatre is by ticket only.