Brisbane mum Louise Scott remembers fondly her first encounter with Griffith University.
With her eldest daughter Alana preparing to leave high school and take the next step of her education journey, Louise had guided her around the university Open Day and expo circuit to ensure they had all the information needed in their search for the right engineering degree for Alana.
“We had not been able to make it to the Griffith Open Day unfortunately but I was determined that Alana would at least have a look at the Griffith campus before deciding,” Louise says. “So I rang the university on a public holiday and asked if it would be okay for us to come on campus and have a walk around.”
Her call was transferred to the first year convenor at the School of Engineering who invited mother and daughter not only to visit the campus but to meet him at his office.
“We spent an hour with him and then he gave us a tour of the campus. It was such a positive and personalised experience. I was quite taken aback. It reminded me of the kind of support parents receive when they leave their first born at primary school on day one.
“It was welcoming, it was genuine and it continued through Alana’s years studying at Griffith.”
First class degree
Alana studied environmental engineering at the Nathan campus and was followed to Griffith by sisters Camilla who studied environmental science and Yasmin who studied primary education.
As a school teacher herself Louise took a particular interest in Yasmin’s curriculum and was not disappointed. “I became aware of how thoroughly she was being prepared for the classroom. I have seen many young teachers coming through and I knew her education degree was first class.”
All three of Louise’s girls gained membership of the Griffith Honours College which opens doors to a wealth of experiences for high-achieving undergraduate students. “The Griffith Honours College offered and delivered so many opportunities both nationally and internationally for my daughters,” Louise says.
“I was regularly engaged as Mum’s taxi service, taking the girls back and forth to the airport for the next Honours College adventure. I hoped that one day it might be my turn!
“The courses at Griffith and the leadership and personal development opportunities offered by the Honours College provided the girls with worldly experiences which value-added to their resumes, making them most competitive as they entered the workplace.”