Alumni stories

Adam has spent his life trying to understand how things work and how they can be improved. This analytical mindset would naturally lead him towards a career in engineering. Now he's making his mark on the energy industry in the NT, applying his learnings from the CDU Master of Engineering to real-world projects.

Social work graduate Priscilla did not take the traditional path to university. Instead, she had to overcome tragedy at a young age and her own self-doubts to don the graduation cap and gown. 

Hannah’s time volunteering in a remote community in the Kimberley would inspire her to change gears in her career. Studying public health online at Charles Darwin University became the link to her future. 

A love of learning saw sparky Sarah become a trainer and an advocate for all students in the industry. She’s making sure there are no barriers to pursuing a rewarding, challenging career in the electrical trades.

Reading an old National Geographic magazine as a teenager sparked Dr Jayson Ibanez's love affair with the critically endangered Philippine eagle. He's spent his life and career dedicated to researching and conserving it.

Yvonne always planned to go to university, but young motherhood put her plans on pause – at least for a decade or two. Starting her first degree in her late 30s didn't slow her learning down in the slightest. In fact, Yvonne turned two very different degrees into a whole new career. 

Darwinites really have Yuba’s sister to thank for inspiring her brother to study here in the Territory. The community service champion kept hearing that Darwin was a “great place to live and learn”. He's been using skills in leveraging technology from his postgraduate IT degree to boost efficiency in a cause close to his heart — volunteering.

Successful serial entrepreneur Dr Mark Englund has had a life-long fascination with all things technical. A supportive mother and a chance encounter with an inspiring engineering academic changed the course of Mark's young life, leading to him study engineering in the Territory before taking the tech world by storm.

A move to the Northern Territory sparked a decades-long love affair with basketry and weaving for Dr Aly de Groot. Her career in the arts industry has always centred around advocating for Indigenous fibre and textile artists and educating the wider community about art and environmental issues.