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Kathryn Hicks - working as a Teacher at Forest Lake College and as a member of the Sanctuary Quartet
Graduated with a Bachelor of Music (Performance) with first class honours
Kathryn said studying at UQ had been the best four years of her life.
"I learnt so much musically and made many good friends in a close-knit musical community. All the School of Music staff were very knowledgeable and experienced in their areas and always willing to help," she said.
"The support was good, especially the library resources and the campus was gorgeous! I loved the buildings. It was just a nice place to be!"
"I got opportunities to play in QPAC and represent the uni at functions such as the Vice-Chancellor's Farewell dinner."
"I was encouraged to practise hard and apply for programmes such as the Australian Youth Orchestra's National Music Camp. It was a well-balanced program with great opportunities academic and performance wise. ie History, Techniques, Practical Study including Chamber & Orchestral Music with the opportunity to study a few subjects in other fields such as Psychology. I started my course not particularly enjoying PERFORMING music but ended up loving it!”
"In fact there was plenty of performance experience at UQ. I played in concerts at QPAC and I loved playing in chamber music - presented a concert with Sanctuary String Quartet in Customs House in March 2007. It was a buzz!"
"I managed to get to play a wide-range of varieties of styles of music as a part of my performance experience widened. I was able to play famous string orchestra repertoire in project week during O Week of each year. This included Dvorak's Serenade for Strings. I was also able to study both violin and viola! Also I had the opportunity to perform in competitions including the Bach Prize, Sleath Prize and Sid Page Chamber Music Memorial Prize."
"I learnt a lot about playing my instrument and performing in general and I was tutored in such a way that I'm able to teach and explain things clearly to children. I also gained and developed a love and passion for music which I hope to pass on to inspire others.”
Anna von Zeppelin - working with Goldman Sachs in the UK
Graduated with Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Arts
Ms von Zeppelin, an Australian descendant of a famous German family was awarded a Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Arts degree from UQ in 2007. She majored in finance, Spanish and German, is the great-grand-daughter of Graf Ferdinand von Zeppelin, the inventor of the rigid airship, known as the Zeppelin.
In 2004/05 she took part in a student exchange program to the University of Vienna, Austria, attending lectures in finance in German. She also was selected to take part in an Australian National Internship Program through the Faculty of Arts, sponsored by the UQ Dean of Students, Dr Lisa Gaffney.
"As part of the program I completed a research paper on skills shortages in the Australian tourism sector," she said. "This was for the Hon Fran Bailey, then Minister for Small Business and Tourism."
"I was lucky to get to work in Parliament House in second semester."
Ms von Zeppelin said studying at UQ had allowed her the opportunity to gain overseas experience, and professional job opportunities.
She has taken up a job opportunity with Goldman Sachs investment bank in London, researching European companies.
James O'Donnell - created his own Chinese business consultancy
Graduated with a Bachelor or Arts (Chinese)
 "I did a Bachelor of Arts and also did several Business and IT subjects as I knew the mix would be beneficial to me one day. UQ gave me a lot of options and was a very nice place to study, hangout with friends, meet new people and loads of events. The highlights of my time at UQ included music festivals, the societies, the pub… It’s not just about the study".
"The staff and support were great! I owe my Chinese to my lecturer, Guy Ramsay. If it wasn’t for his confidence in me then I think I would have never had graduated. The campus is a really relaxed place to be and the facilities are great". What else do you need?
"After graduating I created my own company. An Australian – Chinese Business Consultancy Group, for companies who want to import or export with China. In China we liaison with manufacturers to have product made to Australian standards. We speak Chinese and know the culture. The best bit is I get to travel to China regularly! www.AustAsiaCo.com.au I’m always looking for students or graduates. One of my staff, Liz Mahoney is a UQ student and her Chinese is amazing!!"
"Everything I studied at UQ has helped me to develop my whole company… Chinese language, culture, history, business law, management, skills, communication, marketing, web page development, programming, applications, networking and general knowledge."
Anna Keenan - working as a Community Outreach Officer in South-East Queensland for the Australian Conservation Foundation
Graduated with Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Arts
Anna recently completed her studies at the University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Science in the fields of Physics and Mathematics and Bachelor of Arts with majors in Economics and Environmental Studies. A year ago, at 21 years of age, Anna Keenan was selected as the youngest of 85 Australians to be personally trained by former US Vice-President Al Gore as part of The Climate Project – Australia. Anna spent two months in 2007 working in Washington DC for US Congressman Sam Farr, is Environment Advisor to the National Council of Women of Queensland, and is the inaugural Chair of Queensland’s Youth Environment Council. She is currently working as a Community Outreach Officer in South-East Queensland for the Australian Conservation Foundation, and will be attending the Bali negotiations for the next phase of the Kyoto protocol, as part of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition delegation.
Anna Keenan was one of twelve Australian university students who undertook the prestigious two-month internship with U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C. In 2006, UQ was one of eight Australian universities invited to participate in the Uni-Capitol Washington Internship Programme (UCWIP), and of the final twelve students selected, four were from UQ.
"My time in Washington gave me a first-hand insight into international politics and has opened doors for my future career. The internship went far beyond even my high expectations, and I am extremely grateful to the Arts Faculty and EPSA for their sponsorship."
Kirstin Murray - Producer of the ABC’s 7:30 Report and was previously working as an Associate Producer for Australian Story
Graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
 Most of her work involves pitching and fishing for potential stories, extensive research, shooting re-enactments and producing. She said her goal for each story was to capture highs and lows and love and loss, just like a good film script. “I love the format, love the style, love the reporterless pieces and the insight that you get into people,” Kirstin said. “There aren’t many opportunities to work on documentaries in Australia and this is the closest I’ve found.” She produced the Australian Story pieces about gay footballer Ian Roberts and the late tennis great Ken Fletcher and billionaire Chuck Feeney. Her toughest assignment was the disappearance of Sunshine Coast teenager Daniel Morcombe in 2004. “We began that story only three months after he disappeared so it was extremely raw,” she said. “We walked into their house where they [Daniel’s parents] had that hollow look in their eyes. . . his room was as it was when he left and police officers were taking away now precious things like his school books so they could obtain DNA samples.
“You really had to question your morals of being there, taking up their time and asking horrible and tough questions when that wasn’t their priority.” Kirstin said she was most proud of that episode because it was the most watched Australian Story and resulted in thousands of calls to Crimestoppers. “People put a lot of trust in your hands. On many stories we ask people to go back to a place and a time that they have tried to forget about,” she said. At UQ, Kirstin majored in communication and media studies, specialising in film theory".
“It was fantastic. Once a week we’d go to the Schonell Cinema and watch a film and then spend a couple of hours talking about it,” she said. Journalism was not one of Kirstin’s majors but she got her first journalism break via work experience on Australia’s premier rural TV program Landline. One of the first rural stories for the vegetarian, city girl was a 12-minute piece on chick peas. “There’s heaps of different ways to get into journalism. If I had studied journalism I would have gone to the newsroom, not straight into long format reporting,” she said. After more than two years with Landline Kirstin then worked for ABC’s State news program Stateline and general news for a year. In 2004 she won the Andrew Olle Scholarship. This allowed her to work on different ABC programs around the country such as Lateline, the The 7.30 Report and a stint as the ABC’s Japanese correspondent".
Jon Halpin – Associate Director at Queensland Theatre Company
Graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
Jon never had a burning desire to work in the arts until he became involved in the theatre while studying psychology at UQ. It was the theatre that was to lead his career in a whole new directorial direction.
It began in 1993 when, as a resident at the University’s Union College, Jon initiated an annual college play. He went on to act in several plays at UQ’s Cement Box Theatre before graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1994 and starting his own company where he moved into directing. And it was directing rather than his earlier dabbles with acting that became his artistic passion.
“There’s no audition process for a director. As an actor you can go and audition for someone and hopefully get a role but you can’t do that with directing,” Jon said. “You have to have directed a play where someone has seen you direct it. So that’s why I started directing plays at UQ – to give myself a chance to direct plays that I wanted to direct.” Since those early years, thousands of Australians have come to appreciate Jon’s artistic talents, which received a boost in 1999 when he was approached by the then Artistic Director at the Queensland Theatre Company (QTC) to become his Assistant Director".
In 2005 he was made QTC’s Associate Director. As well as directing about three plays a year at QTC, Jon looks after QTC’s writing program, organising development programs for young writers and supporting the Artistic Director. He said he often used his psychological skills to get into the minds of characters.“You get character types, for example someone who is extremely extrovert, and that is something we can look at from a psychological point of view,” he said. “I studied psychology because I was interested in human behaviour and I think there is a logical step between that and theatre. “We are always examining human behaviour in the theatre.” Jon’s work has won favour with both audiences and critics alike. He recently directed Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, David Mamet’s American Buffalo, and The Woman Before by German playwright Roland Schimmelpfennig.
Ari Gaitanis - Deputy Spokesperson at the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
Graduated from Bachelor of Arts
 "I chose the Bachelor of Arts as it was a degree which allowed me to explore my interests in a range of fields - some career oriented, others of a more personal nature. With so many choices, I got to pick and choose areas that were of interest to me but didn't lock me into three years of studying for specialised occupational skills".
"It allowed me to stick to a primary track of study, journalism in my case, while exploring a range of other very, very different interests at the same time".
"What other program allows you to hand in a journalistic feature story about an Englishman who spends all his holiday watching trials in the Brisbane courts the same week you hand in a paper on political development in ancient Spartan society?
That's the kind of program a Bachelor of Arts can be. I'd recommend it to those who have a sense of adventure about the world we live in and curiosity about what we're all doing here."
Zehra Koroglu - working in London as a Project Manager for a market research agency
Graduated with Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Law
 “You get all sorts of advice when you’re deciding which University course to take. But no one ever tells you this: it doesn’t matter which course you choose. I believe as long as you create a passion for the subject and you immerse yourself in it with enthusiasm, you will derive immense value from your degree – you will gain an understanding of what it takes to really give yourself to something – and that insight will take you anywhere you want to go".
"In this light, you can see that a BA is unique and wonderful – it gives you a wide range of subjects to lend your enthusiasm to and is thus in my opinion an excellent way to derive most value from your University years".
"After University, I worked as a Research Analyst for two years at a leading Brisbane market research company (Enhance Management). In 2003 I came to live in London where I now work as a Senior Project Manager for a boutique research agency".
"In my working life, I have learned to create my passion for whatever sector I am researching – whether it is insurance or toilet paper – and thus the key to my happiness lies not in the subject matter or my career choice, but in being passionate about being passionate".
"My advice if you’re not sure what to choose: just pick something and then create your passion for it.”
Alexandra Collie - working at the World Movie Channel
Graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Media Studies)
Alexandra is now living in Sydney and working at the World Movie Channel.
"The film, television, and media courses I studied were invaluable to my current position. My studies at UQ have equipped me well for employment in the competitive field of film and television. The course in Film Movement and Genres for example has been valuable in giving me an understanding of the foreign language films I view at work".
Lulu Chen (from Taiwan) - now working as an Australian Education Consultant
Graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
Lulu is now working as an Australian Education Consultant at JRIS International Co., Ltd in Taiwan.
“I always feel very honoured to have graduated from a reputable University like UQ. The internationally recognised degree has offered me great opportunities to find better employment".
"In additional to the academic learning, I have gained many valuable professional skills including presentation, team work, communication, and time management through various training tasks at UQ. During my study years, I also received maximum support from the student advisers in the Faculty of Arts".
“UQ library is also a great place to stay after class, comfortable, internet accessible and most importantly, it has private rooms available for student to study individually.”
"In terms of lifestyle, I have made many friends from different country backgrounds. Australia is a multicultural country and the diversity of students at UQ is tremendously rich. I had an unforgettable experience during my time studying at UQ and have met many friends from all over the world and still manage to keep these good friendships".
Claire Gobe - working at the Queensland Art Gallery
Graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Art History
"Studying art history at UQ allowed me to explore alternative ways of viewing and experiencing the world around me. There was a community atmosphere in the school, with staff, fellow students and SOFA (Society of Fine Arts) providing opportunities for personal and professional development and networking even as an undergraduate. Since graduating I have begun work at the Queensland Art Gallery assisting with displays in the Australian Art Collection to 1970. Art history has provided the basis for what I hope will be an exciting and challenging career in the arts."
Maggie King - working as a Publishing Editor for Macmillan Education Australia
Graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Education dual degree and in 2007 Master of Arts (coursework) degree in Writing, Editing and Publishing
“Studying at UQ was often challenging, usually enjoyable, and always rewarding. Initially my main interest in tertiary study was the elusive 'piece of paper'; however, the further I progressed in my studies, the more I came to value the experience of being a student. Overall my time at UQ was an incredibly enriching experience through which I gained friends, a career, and the ability to think deeply about the world. I would consider undertaking further study at UQ”.
“Highlights for me included really simple things like dropping back a large stack of library books after I'd handed in an assignment, listening to Rob Pensalfini (linguistics) recite Chaucer in an authentic Middle English accent, or enjoying a 'P' pizza at the Pizza Cafe with friends after class. In terms of 'big' things, graduation ceremonies have always been a highlight as well. I think it is so valuable to recognise the hard work and achievements of each student and I always enjoy seeing the pride on everyone's faces at graduation”.
“The staff continually challenged me to achieve my best and were always supportive in helping me do so. As a postgraduate student I formed more personal relationships with lecturers and tutors, which not only helped me stay focused but also provided excellent industry contacts -- which ultimately helped me gain employment. I was very happy with the facilities, shops and services at the St Lucia campus. The Lolly Shop was the source of many an afternoon sugar fix -- and the dentist was subsequently the source of many a filling”.
“During my Arts degree I developed excellent written and spoken communication skills, which gave me an edge throughout the application and interview process. I learned how to manage time effectively, multi-task, set priorities and work towards goals. More than anything, however, my studies taught me to challenge myself and rise to the challenge. I had an extremely full schedule for most of my postgraduate degree -- at one point, combining full-time work and full-time study -- but being stretched to my limits and emerging successfully made me realise how much I was really capable of. This confidence has been a major asset professionally as well as personally”.
“I currently work for Macmillan Education Australia in the newly created position of Queensland Publishing Editor. MEA publishes a large range of educational texts and I am responsible for developing new secondary school titles for Queensland across a range of subject areas”.
Nicky Jones - working as a Lawyer for a private practice in Brisbane
Graduated with Bachelor of Arts in 1991, Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in 1997, PhD in 2004 and Bachelor of Laws (Honours) in 2005
“I started my Bachelor of Arts in 1991. I completed a double major in French, although I also studied some Psychology, Maths, English, Religion and Philosophy subjects, which were all very interesting. I graduated midway through 1993, in time to leave in September to take up an award from the French government to work in France for a year as a teacher.”
 “When I came back from France, I enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in French, which I completed in 1997. That was a gruelling year but I got so much out of it: the subjects were interesting and well-taught and although working on the thesis component was difficult, it was very good practice for my PhD later on. I think this degree is the one I’m proudest of – I worked very hard for it and I was so relieved and happy when I finished and got my results."
“In 1998 I started my Bachelor of Laws degree part-time while working part-time in the Department of Art History. Towards the end of my first year in Law I applied again for a full-time PhD scholarship – and this time I got one. I had really enjoyed my Law subjects, however, so I decided to do my PhD in the disciplines of French and Law. I graduated with my PhD in 2004 and my LLB (Hons) in 2005."
“In between, in 2001, I took a semester away from my PhD and my Law studies. I had applied for and been awarded an internship with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland. This proved to be an excellent way to put my French language skills and my legal studies into practice. I spent a very productive five months working with the National Institutions team, which supports and promotes the work of human rights commissions across UN countries.”
“At UQ, I really appreciated (and I miss) the intellectual challenges I encountered: the thrill of learning new information, encountering new ideas and being prodded to think in different ways; the opportunity to discuss and debate these ideas with bright people; the chance to meet other students who were interested in the same sorts of things I was or, even better, were passionate about different subjects.”
“I was very happy with the quality of teaching that I received and I thought most of the lecturers across the range of subjects I studied were excellent. Many were inspiring - interested in ideas, in doing a good job with their teaching and in encouraging students to think and improve the quality of their work – and were also extremely helpful if you went to them with a question or a problem.”
“UQ St Lucia is a very pretty campus. It’s also very large, so there are lots of places where you can wander around near the river or by the lakes near Engineering and get away from people or get some fresh air and relax. There are also refectories and cafes dotted around campus, so you are always near some sort of watering hole or place to socialise.”
“I now work as a lawyer in private practice in Brisbane. I would have to say that language – the ability to understand and use it correctly – has always been very important to me and is a very important skill for a lawyer. My Arts studies helped me to develop and refine my French and English language skills, as well as my ability to think about and analyse texts and ideas. In addition, the research and writing experience I gained as a result of my BA (Hons) and PhD degrees has proved to be of great assistance to me in my current work.”
"Although I don't use French every day now, I am very happy I studied it in such depth. After all, French is an important world language, more so than perhaps we give it credit for here in Australia. I don’t think most people realise how widespread French is and how useful it is to be able to speak it. I’m also a qualified French translator and I still do occasional translating work when I can. I think that sort of additional expertise offers something different and something extra to a potential employer."
"On a practical level, my firm is currently considering obtaining accreditation with the French Honorary Consulate here in Brisbane so that I can be an accredited provider of legal services to French companies if required. That would be a great way to use my combined skills!"
Clare Atkinson - completing an Internship with Deutsche Welle in Bonn, Germany
Graduated with Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Journalism
The hard work of a young journalist has landed Clare an internship with Deutsche Welle, one of Europe's largest radio and television networks. Recently graduating with a dual degree in journalism and arts, Clare Atkinson has just begun her six-month placement in Bonn, Germany, where the multi-lingual broadcaster is based. After completing a student exchange in Germany last year, Clare said she was glad to return to the region.
“In 2005 and 2006 I studied at Albert-Ludwigs-Universitaet in Freiburg, and decided then that I would one day return to work,” she said.
“Little did I know that I would be returning within one year. The internship with Deutsche Welle seemed like the perfect start to my career, combining both journalism and German.”
“I hope the internship will allow me to find further work with Deutsche Welle,” she said. “I have always had an interest in politics and would enjoy learning more about European and German politics. Reporting on the arts, and music in particular, would also be a great experience.” Joining Clare in the newsroom will be fellow UQ Arts graduate Helen Seeney, who secured a Deutsche Welle internship in 1987 and has stayed with the company since, working as a host and producer of weekly feature programs Inside Europe and Network Europe. Operating since 1953, Deutsche Welle distributes news in 30 different languages to broadcasters around the world including the ABC.
Yoko Niwa - working as an Inhouse Translator for Lovells Horitsu Jimusho Gaikokuho Kyodo Jigyo (Tokyo based law firm)
Graduated in 2007 with Master of Arts in Japanese Interpreting and Translation (MAJIT)
 "I found my experience at UQ, frankly speaking, very tough and intense but it was just a necessary step to prepare me for the real world”.“I found the 'Live Interpreting Forum' very scary. It was held on a weekly basis where you have to provide either consecutive or simultaneous interpreting of technical speech in a professional manner in front of an audience”.
"I found the staff at UQ to be very professional and supportive. They have a pride in what they do which was always admirable and inspirational. As for the campus facilities, I was a huge fan of the pizzas that we could buy at the cafeteria. They were so yummy, I still miss them!”
“The skills that I learnt to gain my current position include persistence and an attitude to learn and improve from the course apart from the interpreting and translation skills obtained through this intensive 2-year course. I hope that these are the reasons that I got this position at Lovells Horitsu Jimusho Gaikokuho Kyodo Jigyo (a great organisation)”.
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