Graduation spotlight: Louise Luu, Bachelor of Education K-12 Teaching
Nicknamed ‘101 questions’ as a child for her “insatiable thirst for knowledge,” Louise Luu always had big aspirations for her education. But her journey to attaining a teaching degree has not been easy.
“I was the eldest of seven children to a mother who had me at 14 years old. Going to school was more of a babysitting situation, so I did not develop the foundational blocks required to navigate a university degree,” Louise says.
But Louise’s determination to make something more of herself paid off, after a few false starts with university studies.
“For my first attempt straight after high school, I failed miserably. So I tried again, and again I failed. I simply didn’t have the perseverance, resilience and strategies to keep going. I attempted my first year three times and failed until I finally started at UNE in November 2019.
Also a mother of a young child, Louise wanted to study flexibly, and found UNE through a friend.
“A friend mentioned to me that UNE was the leading online university in Australia at the time. Everything was extremely user-friendly and easy to understand. There were great support systems in place, and they had extensive resources.”
Starting slowly, Louise found her feet.
As I was nervous about failing, I started with one unit to test how I would go, and I ended up getting an HD. The following trimester I increased it to two units, then three until I had the confidence to study fulltime. It was a long process, but I learnt to love the journey.
While riding the highs and lows, Louise found the tools, support and strategies she needed to succeed.
“There were points where I had to accept that my best wasn’t as good as other days and there were times when I surprised myself and found I had more in me than I thought. One of the biggest lessons I learnt was how I studied best.
“I also learnt to chip away at everything. One or two hours of study each day worked way better for me than to procrastinate and have to tackle a mountain in one go.
“My favourite saying became, ‘How do you eat an elephant? – one bite at a time.’”
As a Wangkangurru Yarluyandi and Gunditjmara woman, Louise valued the community at UNE’s Oorala Centre, as well as all the support available at UNE.
“I learnt to utilise the resources well, including the tutors at Oorala, the PASS program, and the wellness centre and I learnt to build relationships with the unit coordinators.
The highlights of my experience at UNE were definitely the Orientation weeks when Oorala would get everyone together for a few days. I loved being amongst mob who truly cared about my success.
“Secondly, it was an honour to be a part of the PASS team. They helped me grow in so many ways. I will always be grateful for how many opportunities they gave me throughout my time at UNE.”
With determination and support, Louise has achieved her long-held dream of obtaining a degree and becoming a teacher, just starting a position teaching VCE English in Melbourne.
“Graduating, to me, means being the first person in my family to attain a university degree. It means I made one of my lifelong dreams come true. It means breaking cycles and setting a new standard for my son. It means I invested in myself, and I saw it through to the end.”
