2022 Annual Review

survivorship—particularly for regional communities where the outcomes for patients are very different. They are also finding solutions to mental health issues for children, particularly in regional areas. Thirty percent of Australia’s population lives outside major cities, and yet, in the regions, we are desperately short of doctors and health professionals, engineers, surveyors, almost any profession, but particularly teachers. And not just specialist teachers, but also classroom teachers who want to work in regional areas. Post-pandemic we may have seen the Great Resignation and a move away from wanting to work in the cities, but we are yet to see the benefits in the regions, despite there being so many opportunities, and a wonderful lifestyle to be had. The future jobs and skills we are talking about now, to name a few, are in data science, artificial intelligence and cyber security, future thinking and design thinking, decarbonisation, food security, hypersonics, space engineering and yes, rocket science. My 34 years in tertiary education lets me know that I won’t change your mind now for what you are going to study, and nor would I want to, (and yes, we do still need more lawyers)! It’s your second or third degrees, and later careers when your time might come to look further afield. Everything has a place and time. In your future education, your future careers, and indeed your future life, things have a season. Life is a marathon not a sprint. Life will have many twists and turns; you will have a number of careers, and I hope that you have many different experiences.

Grab every opportunity to reflect, re-evaluate, and reimagine your future. I learned the power of ‘taking a risk’ and flipping your career 16 years ago when I was recruited to move into full-time management and start up a Law School at a regional university. This was a turning point and following this move I was recruited into senior executive positions at two other universities. Then five years ago I was recruited back as Vice-Chancellor of that first regional university, the University of Southern Queensland, where I have found my true home. The lessons from my career are that hard work will win over advantage, and if you don’t ask, you don’t get. If you fall down, get back up again, and if you make a mistake, keep trying until you get it right. Taking a risk and backing yourself is essential. I have seen many students with incredible dreams who have achieved them and much more. So, dream big—as big as you can. I still re-read these words regularly to remind myself that we can all go beyond our own limitations and achieve things we couldn’t possibly imagine. As you leave Speech Day today, ask yourself now, and ask yourself often, ‘What is my passion, what is my commitment, and what change will I make to the world?’ This is your dream, this is your story, this is your time. Thank you.

Brisbane Girls Grammar School Annual Review 2022

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