It's Never Too Late To Decide
Sun Herald
Sunday May 18, 2008
KATE PURCELL took a few years to find the right degree. But the 26-year-old, who will graduate in June with a bachelor of laws from the University of NSW and then head to Oxford University on a postgraduate scholarship, is now much more focused.
At 18, Kate left her home in Lithgow to live on-campus and study a combined arts-law degree at Macquarie University. Part-way through her five-year course, she went travelling overseas. "I really needed a total break, some time out," she says. "I probably should have done it right after high school." Very quickly, one year turned into two and then three years away. She spent most of her time in France, Britain and Cuba. When she returned to Australia, Kate was determined to specialise in human rights. She switched to UNSW and was able to transfer some of her credits from Macquarie. In the past few years, she's taken many steps to achieve her goal including joining Amnesty International and Oxfam. She's spent an internship at the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in Canberra and participated in UN forums in China and Hong Kong."My advice to new students is don't be worried if you don't know what you want to do initially. I sure didn't. Don't be afraid to change your mind and make the most of all the opportunities that come your way."
© 2008 Sun Herald
