Brodie's Journey from Bunbury to UniHall

11 December 2017

In the summer of 2017, my whole life changed. Several commitments that were keeping me in my hometown of Bunbury, Western Australia had fallen through.

Instead of wasting time waiting for life to lead me, I took control and applied to continue my studies in Perth at The University of Western Australia (UWA). My application was accepted within the week, and I applied to live at University Hall (UniHall), the only residential college owned and operated by UWA. I was so excited for check-in day – where a whole new world of opportunities awaited.

On the sunny Friday morning of February 17, I drove my whole life two hours north. UniHall was buzzing with excitement from the moment I arrived. The Residential Advisors (RAs) were amazingly welcoming despite my having three times as much to move in as any other resident. I knew no one at UniHall so I made every attempt to be sociable, greeting everyone I encountered and leaving my room after unpacking. My attempts were rewarded when I was met with a shout across the upper quad from our then Cultural Officer (now secretary) Shakira to come and join her and several other Resident Club (ResClub) committee members in an intense game of table tennis. That small encounter was a catalyst for my having one of the best weeks of my life. Never before had I felt so happy and accepted in a community.

My enthusiasm during O-Week was identified by several committee members and RA’s, and I was encouraged to run for a position on committee and apply for the Pathways to Leadership program. I didn’t initially win a position of ResClub, but I did succeed in my application for the Leadership Program, which I have really enjoyed participating in this year. I was also successful in my application to work as a receptionist at UWA Accommodation, allowing me to pay my own way while living at UniHall. Several of my friends were keen party-goers, so I ended up getting heavily involved in Intercollege Tav Shows, ResClub and Residential Life (ResLife) events.

Our then Male Sports Officer (now RA), Noah encouraged me to get involved in sport, so I ended up going to watch and sometimes play Intercollege sport every Sunday (despite my severe lack of coordination). Our Vice-President of Intercollege, Kylana, was also a strong influence on me. She encouraged me to get involved in State and later National NAAUC, which was honestly one of the best experiences of my life.

Second semester O-Week rolled around, and with that came a whole new set of opportunities. I helped with the execution of O-Week and got to meet heaps of amazing new freshers in the process. I was also selected to participate in the faculty mentor program, which has enabled me to meet and positively influence other business students at UniHall.

This semester was intense, with more events and assignments than ever before. But through it all I’ve had a strong network of amazing people around me that have continuously proven they have my best interests at heart, as I do theirs. With their support I’ve become the 2017 Marketing Intern, and been elected onto the 2018 ResClub committee as Publications Officer. I can’t wait to see what 2018 has in store for me!

Written by UniHaller Brodie Kelly