University study leaves an indelible mark on Sydney graduates

One face in the crowd of 304 graduands was Cronulla-based disability service manager, SES Deputy Unit Commander and volunteer, Bridget Clark.

Achieving a university qualification, as a mature-age student, was such a momentous milestone for the mum of three, she decided to wear a reminder every day, for the rest of her life.

On Bridget’s arm is a tattoo that reads ‘12.02.24’ – a celebration of the date Bridget submitted her final assignment for a Master of Business Administration (Managing and Leading People).

In the lead up to the big day, Bridget said, "My husband and children will be in the audience at graduation. I hope that watching their mum walk across that stage will fill them with the sense that anything is possible.”

Encouraged by her boss, who was already studying at Southern Cross, Bridget swallowed her fear and signed up to study online, which allowed her to juggle family, work and volunteer commitments, as well as manage her hearing impairment.

Bridget believes the ‘blood, sweat and tears were so worth it’, but admits study was exhausting when tackling timed assessments with a bad bout of COVID, or when SES emergency callouts clashed with assignment deadlines.

“We had land searches, storms and flooding, trees down on cars, houses and roads,” she recalled. “Lecture recordings were fantastic, and allowed me to continue when I returned from volunteering.”

Bridget believes that a tertiary qualification changes how people see you, and how you see yourself.

“My dream is to be in a senior role where I can empower staff, to help them reach their potential and make their lives a little bit better.”

It’s a dream that fellow graduate, South Australia-based educator and author of The Art of Raising a Resilient Child, Anna Partridge is now living.

Anna’s Master of Education (Educational Leadership) study could not have come at a better time, as she prepared for her new role as Head of Wellbeing at an Early Learning – Year 12 college in Adelaide, where she is leading a whole school cultural change. 

She remembers a lightbulb moment with Southern Cross when theory finally made sense of her years of practice.

“I was able to take the wellness model I had designed at Southern Cross University and implement that at my new school, but I needed to bring everyone on the journey with me,” Anna said. “My studies gave me the theory and momentum to drive that change, in a strategic and considered way.”

Now she hopes to publish a new book focusing on whole school wellbeing programs.

As lifelong learners and career changers, Anna and Bridget represent the modern workforce, according to former New South Wales Liberal Party Minister, David Elliott who delivered the graduation ceremony’s Occasional Speaker address.

Himself a master of the career switch, David held roles within the police media, military, charities, major events, hotel and tourism sectors before his election to NSW Parliament in 2011.

He went on to tackle Ministerial portfolios, including Counter Terrorism and Transport, before his retirement from politics in May 2023 when David was appointed Chief Executive of the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (NSW & ACT).

As a teenager from Bankstown in Sydney’s West, “I was the first person in my family to go to university. Then, at age 50, my mother was the second, two years after me. We used to see each other on campus,” David said, laughing at the memory.

“If I was headed towards the student bar she'd yell out at the top of her voice, ‘Have you done your homework?!’”

David believes, whatever your stage of life or education, there is always more to learn.

“I say to young soldiers joining the military – you should never say ‘No’ to a learning experience,” David said.

He applauds the flexibility of courses offered by Southern Cross University, that opens up tertiary education to more people.

“University graduates should always be looking for the next opportunity to study,” David said.

“To business leaders I say, if you want to retain, train. Employers must make sure everybody has an opportunity to advance their career with further qualifications.”