A day in the life of...

When asked why she decided to study at university, former Ballajura Community College student Hannah Walkerden responded, “It was a no-brainer for me, I enjoyed school and wanted to further my knowledge”. Hannah remembers speaking with staff and ambassadors from the Aspire team who visited her school during her time there. She also participated in STEM-linked Aspire UWA activities and was able to visit the UWA campus with her peers and try experiments in a lab.

Such experiences cemented Hannah’s goal of going to university, and after Year 12 she enrolled in a Bachelor of Science at UWA through the direct entry ATAR pathway, majoring in Computer Science and Data Science. While she has yet to decide exactly which career she wants to pursue, Hannah admits that working as a computer scientist is her dream. She says, “There is already a massive under-representation of women in these jobs, but this generation of students is already changing that, and to be a part of this is something special”.

Hannah has worked for a few different organisations around her study schedule and is also a netball umpire and coaches younger umpires at her association. During the season she umpires every Saturday and absolutely loves it! “I believe passing on knowledge to upcoming athletes is the best way to give back to your club or association,” says Hannah.

She gives back to her community in other ways too, as she is a member of the Coders for Causes (CFC) club and the Programming Competition Society (PCS). CFC in particular aims to connect university students with non-profit organisations and charities with the goal of creating software that will improve the lives of people in need, and Hannah endeavours to continue to build her own skills so she can become more involved in this capacity.

UWA is the best university in WA. The master’s framework is very practical and prepares you for advanced business and career exposure. The faculty members, beautiful campus and friendly environment make studying here an amazing experience. I chose to study the Master of Business Information and Logistics Management because it is industry relevant and combines both business and IT. This course suits someone who wants to pursue a career in something like business analytics or digital marketing.

"I started studying straight after high school in 2016. My undergraduate majors were in Neuroscience and Archaeology, and in 2019 I completed an Honours in Archaeology. 

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at UWA, and have especially fond memories of travelling for both archaeological field trips and debating competitions. I studied neuroscience after falling in love with it during the Brain Bee at high school, organised by Jenny Rodger at UWA. 

My second major became archaeology after a very interesting first year class with Sven Ouzman, where I ended up sourcing and firing my own clay tablet for an assignment. I was lucky enough to get a job at the Museum straight after graduation. 

I have remained connected to UWA since then, especially as I finish publishing work that I completed during my Honours year."

Patrick Morrison, BSc ’18, BA(Hons) ’19 (Archaeology and Neuroscience)
Assistant Curator, Western Australian Museum