Hannah graduated from the Graduate Diploma of Public Health in 2019.

Why did you choose to study public health?
After completing my Bachelor of Biomedical Science I was not sure what I wanted to do next. I took a year off and worked with Indigenous students in a remote school in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. This experience sparked an interest in Indigenous health. After returning home I was interested in completing further study that incorporated my research background but also focused on prevention and health management within Australia, and, Indigenous health promotion in particular. After researching potential courses that could lead me to a career in public health, I managed to find the postgraduate public health course offered by Charles Darwin University. By enrolling in this course from Melbourne and participating in it as an external student, I was able to begin my new path into public health while still gaining knowledge and experience from the Indigenous students I worked from the Kimberley who attend a boarding school in Melbourne.

Why did you choose to study through Menzies? 
I was interested in doing a Master of Public Health course and after researching the different universities throughout Melbourne I decided to look at great courses that can be done online to allow myself to work and study simultaneously. After reading the course outlines of the Master and Graduate Diploma of Public Health courses at Charles Darwin University, and seeing that their course structure allowed me to enrol in Indigenous health subjects and major in this area, I was immediately interested in applying and undertaking my studies online as an external student.

What qualification did you graduate from Menzies with?
I graduated from a Graduate Diploma of Public Health.

Have your studies with Menzies led to further study, and if so what course are you enrolled in or have you completed?
My Graduate Diploma of Public Health with Menzies led to further study in a Master of Public Health with Menzies this year.

What were the highlights of your studies with Menzies?
Having never studied public health before, I loved learning about the many different fields associated with public health. My favourite subject was health promotion and the assignments associated with the subject. This subject allowed me to create and design my own public health promotion program, where I was able to apply my knowledge from experiences and stories shared with the students I work with, into my university work. I enjoyed having the opportunity to apply feedback of my work from lecturers into my future assignments and share the knowledge I learnt throughout the year with colleagues, students, family and friends.

Has your public health qualification opened up career opportunities?
While completing my Master of Public Health at Menzies, I have continued to work in the same role as last year in the education field. The scope of jobs that I am qualified to work in has dramatically increased since graduating from my graduate diploma and after completing my Masters at the end of this year, I aim to begin searching for a job in the public health promotion and/or research field.

What is your role/position now?
While finishing off my Masters of Public Health, I am continuing to work at a boarding school in Melbourne in a year 10, 11 and 12 program support role for Indigenous students who are from the Kimberley.