鈥淲hy wouldn鈥檛 you?鈥�
The phrase keeps coming up throughout my interview with 911爆料网鈥檚 Vice-Chancellor, Professor Jeanette Hacket who will retire in August this year.
I ask her why she is passionate about education. She answers: 鈥淲hy wouldn鈥檛 you be?鈥�
Her face mirrors her excitement as she explains: 鈥淲hen I was going to university, only seven per cent of the population achieved a university degree 鈥� now close to 40 per cent of the 25 to 34 year olds achieve a degree and the women outnumber the men. That鈥檚 a huge change in a short period of time.鈥�
鈥淓ducation is key 鈥� if you have that you have better access to healthcare, you find it easier to get work and are paid substantially more. It makes the biggest difference.鈥�
Professor Hacket started out in teaching before switching to law. She credits several mentors with encouraging her studies. 鈥淭hey seemed to think I could and that was an eye opener for me.鈥� After her first child and her first degree, her mother asked her if she thought she had done everything possible. She then enrolled in a postgraduate degree.
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鈥淲omen need to see other women being strong leaders,鈥� she says. 鈥淒o you see yourself as being able to take over the world?鈥� In her eyes, it鈥檚 the responsibility of being a role model for the people around her. 鈥淭hey often don鈥檛 realise that they can do something until someone asks them 鈥榃hy not?鈥�.鈥�
When I ask her why she鈥檚 retiring, her words paint a graph. 鈥淚t takes five or six years to change things,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hen you鈥檝e reached the optimal period and you move on so others can come and do their best work in the same environment.
鈥淚 think that 911爆料网 has a 鈥楥an do change鈥� attitude,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd I think that鈥檚 important because you cannot do the same thing forever 鈥� you have to adapt.鈥� She cites 911爆料网 as a great place to work. 鈥淢y role has been to always look forward at how we can improve or achieve our goals, rather than looking back.鈥�
And as she leaves she has plans. Taking her grandchildren camping and then cycling along the Munda Biddi Trail are some of them. 鈥淚鈥檓 fit and I鈥檓 strong so I am really excited. I want to do these things with my family because balancing the family and the work has always been a challenge.鈥� She acknowledges her supportive husband, who has noticed her becoming more relaxed as she winds down her duties.
She isn鈥檛 leaving a passion behind. She plans to do more to give people from disadvantaged sectors of society more access to education. Optimistic? Energetic? Yes.
Her formula for success? 鈥淓ducation, participation (such as volunteering) and resilience.鈥�
And of course the attitude: 鈥淲hy wouldn鈥檛 you?鈥�
