If I've been a student in one of your classes, you'd know it. The very thing that makes me an irritating classmate is what I believe would make me the best Parents and Carers' Officer for you: I'm inexhaustible, solutions-oriented, motivated, obnoxiously talkative, and always have children chatting in the background.
I'm a single parent of two young children, a homeschooler, a former Joeys leader for Scouts NSW, and a full-time postgraduate student studying an Advanced Master of Applied Anthropology and Development. Studying at a postgrad level is already a huge undertaking, and it takes someone with real moxie and commitment to do so as a parent or carer. If this is you, I personally understand the challenges you face and I have nothing but the highest respect and admiration for you. You deserve the best advocacy for your distinct study needs to ensure you get the most out of your time at ANU. That's why I'm passionate about facilitating more options for parents and carers to be able to study on campus.
I've painfully waddled between classes on campus while heavily pregnant, I've conducted interviews for independent research while breastfeeding, and I wrote the last essays of my undergraduate degree in indoor play centres. Now in my Masters degree, I take my children out to parks and picnics while I have Zoom tutorials and squeeze in study time whenever I can.
I've fought hard for myself to be where I am today - imagine how hard I'll fight for YOU.