LE BAI: My name is Le Bai, I’ve been studying my Bachelor of Environmental Science as well as Honours at CDU. I did my honours degree on Blue Carbon and Blue Carbon is all about the coastal vegetated eco-system and that is specifically refers to mangroves, sea grasses and salt marshes. And during this honours project I’ve developed lots of skills along the way which I could never imagine of. Like I’ve learned how to study and do all this research independently. I learned how to conquer this different and sort of various ways and I also learned this project management by trying to, you know cooperating with other people and liaison with other organisation as well. So I’ve learned lots of skills.
ALEA ROSE: My name is Alea Rose and I’m a PhD student at Charles Darwin University and my project is looking at the microbial population in the Leanyer-Sanderson Waste Water Stabilisation Plant. I really enjoyed the nurturing environment I experienced during my time at CDU and that was why I was drawn to coming back for my post-graduate studies. My supervisors have been really proactive in establishing who I should go to see in regards to new equipment use or if I need to borrow anything. I’ve been given a really great induction as to where to find things, who to see and what processes I need to undertake to get to my goals.
ALANNA MARTIN: My name’s Alanna Martin and at CDU I did a Bachelor of Science Honours which I added on to my Bachelor of Sports and Exercise Science. I’m currently working at the Tasmanian Institute of Sports where I’m Sports Performance Officer ….
Being an external student rather than being in Darwin does make it slightly difficult some times to be able to just pop in and say hi or have a chat or things but it gives me the freedom to be able to work in my current job. My position is one that I would’ve been striving to since I started my under-graduate degree so I wouldn’t wanted to have given that up to be able to study internally somewhere so the fact that I have my freedom to do my PhD while working in my role gives me a better outlook for the future.
ALEA ROSE: I definitely feel like my opportunities are limitless with the research that I’m doing now here at Charles Darwin.