Ms Samantha Swain (pictured above) from the Sutherland Shire in Sydney was conferred an Undergraduate University Medal when she graduated with a Bachelor of Environmental Science and Management (Climate and Sustainability) in the Charles Sturt Faculty of Science and Health at a ceremony in Sydney on Wednesday 11 September.

An Undergraduate University Medal is awarded by the University to students who complete the requirements and achieve a grade point average (GPA) of 6.75 or higher.

Samantha achieved an Undergraduate University Medal while juggling multiple jobs due to trying economic circumstances.

“During my studies, I was managing a mortgage on my own while working full-time, and when interest rates increased, I had to take on a part-time job as well,” she said.

“Earning a University Medal, to me, feels like recognition for the 5 years of hard work and dedication it took to earn this degree.”

Samantha said her older brother studied a Bachelor of Science majoring in physics (“He’s incredibly smart, so I have big shoes to fill!”), but she never knew what she wanted to do when she finished high school, so she made the decision not to go to uni.

“I think it’s hard as a teenager to choose what you want to do as a career, it can feel like the biggest decision you’ll ever make,” she said.

“It wasn’t until I found something I was very passionate about that I felt I was committed to going to uni. This was my first degree, which I began at 31, and I felt much more motivated to learn than I would have been straight out of high school.”

When asked why she chose to study environmental management, Samantha said she was becoming disheartened about climate change and the negative impact humans have on the planet and wanted to feel like she was contributing to protecting it.

“My whole family is really conscious of the impact we have on the planet. My younger brother builds furniture out of recycled materials and grows his own native fruits, veggies and herbs,” she said. “I’m not quite as handy but those same values stuck with me from a young age.”

Samantha (pictured left at about age 6) said she always had a love of nature and animals and wanted to protect them, and about a decade ago she made the decision to stop consuming and purchasing animal products and made a conscious effort to live more sustainably.

“There were so many negative stories around climate change in the news and I was continually watching documentaries on its impacts,” she said.

“Australia continues to become hotter and more prone to drought and bushfire and I wanted to understand it more so I could help contribute to a solution. This eventually led to me wanting a career working in the environmental sector.”

Samantha said this is a significant career change for her.

“Coming from a web design, development and, more recently, a marketing background, I did some research into environmental careers and thought it would be interesting to work in a geographic information systems (GIS) role, which I felt combined my creative and technical side while being able to work in environmental sustainability,” she said.

“The new geospatial science degree wasn’t offered at the University at the time I enrolled but I’m glad I chose a broader environmental degree because I felt like I gained a really broad spectrum of skills and knowledge that will help me in my career.”

Samantha said she did a lot of research on universities and chose to study at Charles Sturt because she felt that it practiced what it preached in terms of sustainability.

“Charles Sturt University was Australia’s first Carbon Neutral University, with composting toilets, compacted earth buildings and natural materials used to decrease the need for artificial heating and cooling, to name a few,” she said.

She found the course covered a huge range of natural and social sciences, which gave her technical skills to take into her career, and also a wider understanding of people and the planet.

“I learnt a lot about Australia’s cultural heritage and First Nation’s sustainable practices - topics which weren’t covered well during my high school years, so it was very eye opening,” Samantha said.

“The course was delivered online so I could work around other commitments, but I still had opportunities for hands-on learning with residentials at the university campus and a two-week field trip to the Mallee region of Victoria and southern New South Wales.”

“The field trip was amazing and a great learning experience of what it’s like being out in the field and collecting data, even if half of us ended up with Covid. It was certainly memorable being on a remote research station, hours from the nearest town while quarantining in a hot tin shed with no electricity or running water!”

As part of her degree Samantha did work experience as a GIS consultant working with national parks, ecologists and the Blue Mountains City council, mapping climate change impacts, endangered species and the effects of natural disasters.

“The work experience really reassured me that I was on the right path,” she said. “I met so many like-minded people through my degree who had similar passions and were all committed to protecting the planet.”

As for her future career moves, Samantha said she wants a job and career where she feels she’s making a positive change to the things she cares about.

“Further work and study in geospatial science and emergency management are areas I am interested in,” she said.

Samantha said no education or experience is wasted.

“Every job I’ve had or short course I’ve done has been beneficial in one way or another,” she said. “It’s never too late to study or to change careers.”