Humans of Curtin
As Story Collector for Curtin University, my role was to interview and photograph students around campus to generate interesting and newsworthy stories for inclusion in various Curtin social media and publicity materials. Here are just a few from my two years with Humans of Curtin.
“When I was in high school, I didn’t really know what I wanted to study. Then I decided that I wanted to change the world, but I didn’t know how. We had this inspirational speaker visit the school and he said “you can change the world one person at a time” and I think that is what occupational therapy is about. It’s so person centered, you’re focused on one person at one time and you’re just making their life better. So, you’re just changing their world, and even though it’s just their world, you are still influencing so many other people as well.”
“I do a lot with Surf Lifesaving, both teaching bronze courses and doing search support. I’ve been a part of it for a few years now. One day I just decided to give it a go and I really enjoyed it so I kept going.
“Currently I’m not a paid lifeguard, but I’m hoping to be. I’m one of the instructors, so I teach young kids how to be volunteer lifesavers. Also, I’ve been out on the rescue boats, but my favourite part is the surf boat rowing, as it’s just a good atmosphere.”
“I was always good at English in school and I enjoy writing. I like keeping up with the news and with business so I’m currently doing a double degree in journalism and commerce. I think they help balance each other out; business can be a bit dry, whereas journalism is more creative. Who knows where they will take me!”
“I did 18 months of civil engineering but then realised it wasn’t for me and now I’m about to finish my degree in psychology. I have a lot of people in my life who struggle with mental health issues and have really benefitted from seeing a psychologist, so I think I saw that change in them and thought I would really like to be a part of that. I want to make a difference in that area.
“I’m hoping to come back next year to do my DipEd so that I can become a school psychologist, and then do my masters further down the track.”
“I’m studying Health Science and hoping to get into oral health next year. I’ve had a passion for this area of health ever since I was very young. I was born in Congo, and when I finish studying, I want to go back there and open an oral health clinic. You don’t often hear about people helping with a community’s oral health – it’s more about medicine. I think teeth are very important as well!
“I’ve been in Australia for five years, so I was 14 when we left. My family came as refugees.”
“I study Mechatronic Engineering. It’s a combination of mechanical, electrical and computer studies.
“I’m currently working on my research thesis, my honours thesis, which is the development of an autonomous wheeled robot for meteor detection. This is a part of the desert fireball network, which is a big initiative out of Curtin, for locating meteorites. I am working on the sensor payload, the meteorite detection, and high level path finding.”
“I want to help to develop a system or business with employees that include those who are underprivileged. Those who have recently come out of jail, or off drugs, or Indigenous people who are finding work hard to get. It’s helping them get back in touch with society and improving their skills. That’s the dream.”
“Studying fine arts wasn’t really a choice, I’ve always loved art, and there was nothing else that I could ever see myself doing a part from art. I paint mostly; I’m interested in plants and their colours and shapes.
“My Nanna is a painter, so she’s supportive and always encouraged me to draw and do things. We would always paint when I went to her house and on the holidays, we would paint at the beach.
“I’ve always loved Van Gogh. I’ve only ever seen one of his paintings in real life, and I just love the vitality that’s in all of his paintings. The way everything moves on the canvas, it’s sort of what I aim to learn how to do.”
“I’m from a family farm in the Eastern Wheatbelt and I’ve grown up with agriculture in my life. I wanted to get involved in the industry by doing a degree where I could have an impact. It has given me many options. It has opened up many opportunities, both here in WA and overseas.
My bachelor degree in agribusiness comprised of study in agriculture, science, and business. Now I’m doing an honours level looking at frost management strategies for broadacre farmers.”
“I started competitive Irish Dancing when I was five years old. My mum and uncle, who have danced in England, opened an Irish dance school here called Keady Upton.My biggest achievement by far is getting sixth place at the worlds this year. Before that my best was sixteenth! I took a gap year from Uni and went to America where I trained for six months with an elite school there and went to worlds with them.
“With the course that I’m doing which is Exercise, Sport and Rehabilitation Science, I want to hopefully get into Physiotherapy and be able to open up a dancer’s physiotherapy clinic. I find that not many physios are specific to dancing.”
“From an early age, I’ve been watching films and it’s kind of how my family bonded as well. So it’s always a nice thing to come back to, escaping the world and I love reading so it made sense to do a double major in Film and Writing.
“I started doing nursing. When I left high school I thought that I wouldn’t be able to get a job if I did something creative, but I think once, you realise what you want to do, just stick with it. I prefer to struggle doing what I love than completely hate my future job just because I decided to compromise.”
“I volunteered as a student ambassador. It was an unpaid role, and it involved sharing my student experiences. Now, working as a course advisor, I’ve found that my ultimate goal is to help people improve themselves and help them achieve their goals by being a motivational speaker.”