Student stories and experiences

After completing the master of Communication for Social Change, Carolina knew she wanted to stay in Australia to put the knowledge acquired during her studies into practice.

She worked for almost a year with UniQuest in international development before moving all the way up to Darwin to work as a Communications Officer volunteer for the Northern Territory Council of Social Service.
 
Two months later Carolina landed the job of Communication for Development Specialist with Amity Community Services in the Darwin area.
 
Following, Carolina’s own words on the daily routine of a C4D Specialist and how being a foreigner has helped her to engage in a higher level with the communities she works with.
 
“English is likely to be their fourth of fifth language and they have travelled for up to two days for the occasion. There are 13 leaders representing each of the clans in the community and a facilitator, and myself. One asks all meeting attendees to participate with an open mind and a good heart: ‘a meeting is always better when we leave it with a good feeling’.
 
Participating in the gathering of an Aboriginal reference group in a remote community of the Northern Territory can be a fascinating experience for a graduate in Communication for Social Change. And tiring, too – after taking two flights I arrived at 9 in the morning and did not leave until 3pm.
 
Since graduating from the Masters of Communication for Social Change, I have attended such meetings in several Aboriginal communities of the Top End to ask for permission to deliver education sessions to individuals, families and workers. I work for a Not for Profit Organisation in a Gambling Harm Minimisation and Education Program. My work involves developing and delivering participatory communication workshops that motivate people to have healthier and more balanced gambling behaviours. A widely spread and normalised activity in Australia, gambling has become an issue in many remote communities where there are few or no entertainment options, as well as high dependency on welfare. Used to being talked to and given few opportunities to voice their concerns, Aboriginal people greatly appreciate participatory techniques. I have found that being a foreigner and having an accent also helps me mingle and engage better with this group of people!"

The BA Advantage is the diversity of the students on the program. You meet people who study sociology, psychology, literature, history – and talking to them just opens up your mind a lot.

In my three years at UQ I’ve had four internships – in Brisbane with the UQ Art Museum, Metro Arts, and QAGoMA, and one in Singapore. The great thing about internships is that it helps you to put all of the theoretical knowledge you learn in class into practice. At QAGoMA I got to work with the Asian and Pacific Art Department, undertaking research and writing for the curators of new exhibitions. 

I have no doubt the experience and industry connections I’ve made while studying at UQ have enhanced my future employability in this competitive sector.

After finishing her Bachelor of Arts, Emily Miller was accepted into the UQ French Honours program. Since starting Honours, Emily has been MC for Australia’s biggest French Festival and one of its committee members. She was also awarded the Mabel Pingel Scholarship for excellence in French and completed a Winter Research Program with the UQ French department.

Her passion for language and theatre drove her to direct and produce Brisbane’s first ever French play entirely in French with English subtitles. Emily aspires to use theatre as a tool to not only introduce French theatre culture to Australians, but also give second language learners the opportunity to engage with the French language outside the classroom.

“My skills and employability as a graduate have greatly increased since learning French,” Emily said.

“I have had countless opportunities and have now forged relationships with French communities both nationally and internationally. Learning French at UQ is a must”.