Graduating With A Sea Of Possibilities

As another exciting year at Griffith University draws to a close, graduating students across all five campuses are beginning to look towards life after university. So we set out to meet some of the students who are graduating this year before the big event and find out about their journey so far…

The first student we caught up with was Emma Kuhl, who will be graduating in December with a Bachelor of Marine Science. Speaking to Emma it was obvious that she has a passion for her field and is looking forward to the opportunities her degree will bring after graduation. We asked her about her experience at Griffith Uni and what she thinks the future may hold.

Study Marine Science – griffith.edu.au/marine-science

How does it feel to be in your final semester?

“Scary. Definitely scary. It’s a bit confusing because I have all these different feelings about graduating. Firstly, being excited for the future and for moving on, but I have also made so many connections here that it will be hard to move on.

Tell us a bit about your journey with Griffith University…

“When I was applying for university I didn’t realise that Griffith had such a great Marine Science degree, but we do. I recently went to Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef as part of my degree and it was amazing. I have snorkelled on the Gold Coast and in Hervey Bay, but then I snorkelled for 20 minutes on the Great Barrier Reef and it was just one of those moments when you stop and think ‘wow, this is crazy’.

“Apart from that, I think the professors and tutors have been so helpful and approachable. They are always there to help with any queries or questions. Overall I have had a really great experience at Griffith.”

What would be the highlight of your Griffith experience?

“Other than the amazing experience at Heron Island, I was also able to do a project in New Zealand as part of my degree. I made connections with the museum in Wellington and then I went over and was able to do fieldwork with seabirds.

“I was climbing through rainforests in two degrees Celsius to work with these birds, scampering about in the mud; it even started hailing at one point. It was just the most different experience to anything I have done in Australia so far. That would definitely be the highlight because Griffith really gave me the opportunity to achieve it.

Are you nervous or excited about graduating?

‘I would probably say more excited than nervous. Griffith has really set me up for graduation. I have foundations in everything from my degree. When you look at job postings, I may not have the five years’ experience, but I do have the checklist of everything else they are looking for.”

What are your future plans?

“Ultimately, I want to end up visting Antarctica, which is a really big dream. I have been approached to study for honours, which I may come back for mid-year. But other than that I just want to work overseas, while I am young and I can.

“Griffith has shown me that I can go to New Zealand for a project, so why not do it for a job.

“I just want to travel and work on educating the public. Because there is a gap between what the public know and what scientists know. There are people out there who watch a documentary and learn something really significant just because somebody actually made it into a film. I would love to be a bridge like that, to help people gain a better understanding of the world they live in.”

Stay tuned to The Griffith Collective for more graduation stories. If you are graduating and are interested in being featured, send us a message for more information.

Want to know more about studying Marine Science?

Check out – griffith.edu.au/marine-science

Thanks for reading! – Hayley

Hayley Payne, Social media reporter & PR and Communication student