When I commenced my Bachelor of Arts (History Major and Minor) in 2011, I knew I would be limited as to what jobs I could hope to get in such a small and competitive cultural institution industry. During my first year at ANU, I became a casual staff member of the Commemorations and Visitor Engagement section at the Australian War Memorial. When I graduated in 2015, I successfully earned a permanent full-time position in the same team. I’ve been heavily involved in the First World War Centenary Commemorations for the past four years.

In late 2017, I was privileged to earn a contract working as an Assistant Curator in the Military Heraldry and Technology section. This was an absolute dream come true, handling National Collection, researching, cataloguing and writing for publication and public programs. At the end of this contract I was asked to become an Acquisitions Officer where I worked for twelve months acquiring and purchasing for the National Collection. By chance, I created the one millionth item record on our cataloguing system!

All three of my roles at the Memorial have been incredibly diverse and my studies in History have been an amazing asset. It will continue to help me gain experience and follow a career path I’m incredibly passionate about. It has allowed me to chase my dreams and invest in work that I love.