Student ambassador

Arts student key to giving classmates a voice

What a challenge. From small business owners to parents homeschooling their kids, even a 21-year-old university student—me!—we’ve navigated uncertain times over the past two years. Here’s a little of my journey.

After leaving Avondale in 2019 to reassess (again) what I wanted to do with my life, I decided to return in 2020 and complete my undergraduate arts degree. I didn’t find the decision easy, and I felt a bit anxious about returning, but it took just one English lecture to realise I’d found my niche. What drew me back? The community of people and, despite studying by distance mode, the experiences I’ve been given. Yes, we’re a small university, but that doesn’t limit our opportunities.

One of the opportunities I’ve embraced is joining the publishing team as assistant editor. Under publishing comes the Jacaranda and The Voice. Both publications are integral not just to the history of Avondale but also to the student body. They showcase who we are and the legacy we intend to leave when we depart campus for the big world that awaits. Jacaranda is a yearbook, so it’s a collection of memories—mostly in photographic and written form—from students on the Lake Macquarie and Sydney campuses. The Voice is a magazine produced by students for students. Each issue features columns, interviews and stories alongside artworks, photographs and poems.

Creating content for The Voice wouldn’t be possible without an incredible team of students. The team produced some amazing work this year. As editor-in-chief next year—a big honour—I want that to continue. But I did have a moment where it looked like it would not. The semester was coming to a close and no one had joined me on the team. I thought, That’s it. The magazine dies with me. Then, good news. Crisis averted. We now have a full team of dedicated creatives who will put their heart and soul into giving students a voice.

And besides keeping print alive that’s our vision for 2022—to carry on with the simple idea that the magazine is “our voice.” I want to know what my classmates have to say about the political climate of our country, the perpetual environmental climate, and the politics of Avondale itself. I also want to learn from lived experiences. Share that advice!

While the “xp” (that’s short for experience, of course) has looked different these past two years, we’ve captured it in The Voice. And that’s important because it’s key to our identity as students of Avondale.