Mother and daughter take honours

Patricia Myers needed some persuading to return to study after a long absence – and her daughter Natalie was only too happy to help her.

On Wednesday, December 11, they will graduate together from The University of Queensland with first class honours degrees. Both received grade point averages of more than 6 (out of a possible 7).

Patricia, 48, who studied Social Work and Social Policy, originally left school at Year 10. She worked as a legal secretary and a telephone counsellor for years, but was scared to take the step to university study.

“I’d had an interest in welfare work for a long time and thought it was time for a new career,” she said.

“Natalie championed me to go to university. She showed me the library and other facilities around campus, and just really encouraged me. She was wonderful, and I don’t think I could have done this without her.”

Natalie, 23, undertook a double major in Anthropology for her degree in social science. Her honours thesis, “How the Arctic is a contested landscape”, covered animal rights and Inuits’ hunting. It examined landscape theory, which is how place becomes part of people’s identity.

She said she was excited about graduating with her mother.

“I knew my mother wanted to go back to study so I encouraged her, and I can’t believe that we’re graduating together. It’s symbolic for me: we started university at different times and studied different things so to finish together is amazing.”

Natalie has plans to study for a PhD in the future, but is currently undertaking work experience in migrant services, and will move to Melbourne to pursue this career in February.

Patricia is now working for Lifeline at the Sunshine Coast, where she undertook her student placement as part of her degree.