Daisy hails from the leafy English countryside, but has lived and studied in the US, Canada and the Netherlands; she finally landed in Tasmania in early 2017.
Daisy has experienced the benefits of overseas study firsthand and is passionate about enabling students to reap the same rewards.
In January 2017, I was lucky enough to go skiing in Kitzbühel, Austria. My friends and I drove from Amsterdam and arrived to Kitzbühel at about midnight. I was left in charge of navigation and we somehow ended up making a wrong turn into a snowy field. We hadn't remembered to put chains on the tires, so the car was completely stuck!
It was -20°C outside, pitch black and we were totally weak with laughter, so our attempts at digging the car out with our hands didn't last very long (there were even some vain attempts at putting the chains on the tires when we were already stuck).
Eventually we left the car where it was and headed to the pub to warm up with some gluhwein. When we returned in the morning, some friendly locals had dug a path for us and we were able to drive straight out!
Despite the rocky start, we were treated to the best ski conditions I have ever experienced. It was t-shirt weather every day, with a fresh dump of powder each night. Combined with being away with a group of my best friends, it really couldn’t have been better!
As this is my first job in the field of international education, I am certain that I have changed and grown in many ways since I started here at the University of Tasmania.
I have gained a greater appreciation for the staff at my former university who navigated me through the twists and turns of organizing my own overseas studies, but also a deeper understanding of how important it is for students to have such an experience.
Seeing the impact that studying overseas has on our students both immediately after they return, and also long into the future, has really solidified my passion for working in this field!
Last year, a student came into our office hoping to go on exchange to Germany. When we first met him, he was incredibly shy and didn't seem particularly confident in himself. We were slightly worried about how he would fare overseas, but it turned out we needn't have been worried at all!
When he came back into the office the following semester, he was a totally new person! He had fallen in love with his host university and made a fantastic group of friends. He was now brimming with confidence, and we had a hard time getting him to stop talking!
I love when studying overseas has such a profound impact on students, and I couldn't be happier for this one in particular - I am sure that his life will take a different course thanks to just one semester in Germany.
Way back in 2013, I went on exchange to Alberta, Canada and had the time of my life, so I would definitely love to go on exchange again!
This time I would choose somewhere a little hotter- we have a great exchange partner in Mexico that I would love to go and visit for a semester or two, or perhaps Italy?
Being the only university on the island, the people who work here at the University of Tasmania are an extremely close-knit group of people, which allows us to work well with one another.
Despite this closeness, we are also a diverse bunch - the four members of my team are actually from four different countries (and three continents!). We love sharing our cultures with one another and with our students, and I am proud to be part of such a unique team!
I think the main factor that leads to success in a company - just like in life - is happiness.
Creating a work environment that employees are excited about coming to each day is crucial in my opinion, and happiness is proven to increase productivity and boost mental health.
I feel incredibly lucky to have a workplace like this, and I know that it has been a crucial factor in the successes that we have experienced.