Utilities
oliver costello
I now get paid to make dreams come true
I didn’t apply myself well at school. I spent years working depressing, dead end jobs to get by.
I always had dreams and when I felt them slipping away I knew I needed a new direction. I failed to get into university the first time I applied which, at the time, felt like a fatal blow, but through persistence I eventually got into the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), and went on to complete a Bachelor of Arts in Adult Education and Community Management. Higher education challenged me to develop my strengths and understand my weaknesses.
However, without the support of my family, community, mentors, Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning (UTS), UTS and a NSW Aboriginal Land Council scholarship, I might not have made it through. As a result of a cadetship, I am now employed by the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (DECCW), as a Project Officer in the Aboriginal Co-Management Unit of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).
I work on various projects that support partnerships between NPWS and Aboriginal communities across NSW. I now get paid to work on making my dreams come true, supporting communities and the environment.
Whether you’re driven by dreams, or, you’re not sure what else to do, higher education may hold the key to open doors you one day wish to walk though. I’m continuing my journey. Good luck with yours!
Oliver Costello