She’s been a serial quiz show contestant, a phlebotomist, a motorcycle postie and a political candidate; now Evie Levens is a two-time UNE graduate, having achieved her Master of Applied Linguistics.
After completing four years of a psychology degree, Evie wanted a break from her studies to plan her next move, but she didn’t want to be idle. Only a few days after finishing her Honours in Psychology, she decided to pick up a Master of Applied Linguistics.
While it may seem like there is little connection between the psychology and linguistics disciplines, Evie said there was much cross-over.
“Our choice and use of language is a big part of our identity, and there are areas of the brain dedicated to language production and comprehension. Psychology in particular overlaps with these aspects of linguistics and probably many others,” she said.
Our choice and use of language is a big part of our identity.
Bridging gaps for herself and others
Before graduating in May, Evie was part of the roughly 85 percent of the UNE student body that studies online. She acknowledged this could be isolating at times and stressed the importance of engaging with peers early on.
For her, having chaired the UNE Student Council (UNESC) during her second degree helped facilitate this. The council acts as a bridge between the student body and the university administration, advocating for positive change, addressing student concerns, and enhancing the overall student experience.
As an online representative, I was in contact with online students daily.
“As Chair, I oversaw the UNESC, delegated tasks to members, and met with staff and working groups to collaborate on projects,” Evie said.
“As an online representative, I was in contact with online students daily. I helped students with whatever I could: I listened to students’ concerns, answered questions (or found the answers), provided support and advice, and advocated for students.”
Chasing the questions
Apart from her dedication to personal and professional development through her studies, this UNE alumna also enjoys a range of hobbies – including being an avid trivia participant.
She has appeared on The Chase, Hard Quiz and Mastermind, often coming close to taking out the prize but always missing it “by that much”. Not only did Evie appear on the show, she was also a question writer for The Chase.
“Creating questions was easy - I'd think of an interesting fact and turn it into a question. But then I would need to check a huge database of hundreds of thousands of questions to make sure it wasn't a duplicate. Often it was! So, it was back to the drawing board,” Evie said.
While Evie was not sure what comes next for her, she said she was interested in how she might bridge the worlds between psychology and linguistics: “I’m currently applying for a place in a Master of Psychology program. In the meantime, I’m taking a short course in Auslan - Australian Sign Language.
"The choice of sign for a given word speaks to the thought processes behind its formation. Nuances in facial expression and body language are also more apparent, enhancing the signed interactions.”
