A recent Charles Sturt University graduate is combining her aspiration for a health-related professional occupation with serving full-time in the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

Originally from the small town of Gisborne in the Macedon Ranges in regional Victoria, graduate, Ms Renee Stockdale (pictured above), has been in the Australian Army for five years and is now based in Adelaide.

After she finished high school, Renee was excited to be accepted into the Gap Year program the ADF offered. She was very soon a convert to the army way of life so when her university course began in Wagga Wagga, she switched to the Australian Army Reserves to keep up her military skills.

The Reserves are a part time job so Renee was still able to devote her time to her studies in the Bachelor of Medical Radiation Science (Diagnostic Radiography).

She graduated in the Charles Sturt Faculty of Science and Health in Wagga Wagga on Friday 11 April. This course was a step away from a family tradition of nursing.

“Since early high school I have had my heart set on becoming a radiographer. It was further confirmed when I completed a Year 9 work experience in the medical imaging department in a major hospital,” Renee said.

“Originally, I wanted a health-related job which did not involve blood or bodily fluids ─ I was very wrong about my expectation of radiography not involving this ─ however, I now love completing medical imaging in all settings even in the operating theatre.”

In the third year of her university course Renee was accepted into the Defence University Sponsorship Scheme.

“This scheme allowed me to commit all my focus on university without the financial burden,” Renee said. “Since graduating I have now moved to Adelaide to work in an Army field hospital.”

The undergraduate scheme is a program which pays for a portion of your university fees, pays you a salary during university and sets you up with a role in the Australian Defence Force after graduation.

As it was for many students, 2021 brought extra challenges to study. Renee’s difficulties included moving interstate, leaving full time army life and adjusting to changes in learning styles due to COVID-19.

“A big challenge was moving halfway through the semester from in-person study to online study due to the persistence of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Renee said.

“However, I understand that everyone has had to adapt to new learning approaches throughout COVID-19, so I used this as a learning curve to adapt with the new situation and go with the flow‚ which I will be able to use in my future career.”

Another difficulty Renee found was establishing a work/lifestyle balance where she could prioritise study, work to pay for food and accommodation and still plan some relaxation time.

She feels the work/life balance is extremely important and had to ensure she didn’t burn out and become overloaded with study while still being able to pay her bills.

It was during the COVID-19 pandemic that Renee received a Wagga Wagga RSL Sub-Branch scholarship which she said allowed her to focus on university study.

“I was so very honoured and very grateful to receive the generosity of the Wagga Wagga RSL Sub-Branch scholarship,” Renee said. “It helped me so much and went towards my everyday expenses such as rent and food.

“This might not seem university-related however it meant that I did not need to get an additional part-time job while studying full-time, on top of my job in the Australian Army Reserves. It allowed me to focus my time on university.”

Being able to focus on study enabled her to achieve higher marks and properly understand her first-year fundamental subjects. It therefore helped to set her up for the following years of her university degree.

Wagga Wagga RSL Sub-Branch scholarship spokesperson Mr Rod Cooper said the Sub-Branch is honoured to have supported Renee Stockdale.

“Renee is now serving in the Army,” Mr Cooper said. “Her journey exemplifies the perseverance and selflessness that our scholarship seeks to inspire and reward.”

As for possible future study, Renee said she would first like to focus on consolidating her learning in diagnostic X-ray imaging.

“My second goal is then to become specialised in advanced skills such as CT imaging and angiography imaging, and my long-term goal is to complete further studies to complete my qualification to become a sonographer,” she said.

Renee said a key take-away from studying at Charles Sturt is that it is a very hands-on course, with her final year requiring both an 18-week block and a 15-week block of hospital-based work placement.

“Due to the long placement blocks in my final year, there was less of a sudden change from student to qualified practitioner,” she said.