Dr Suja Pillai

Senior Lecturer, School of Biomedical Sciences

“When I found out Angus had named me as the pathology lecturer who inspired him most, it was completely unexpected. Knowing his First Nations background, the journey he had taken to medicine, and how committed he is to giving back to his community made it even more meaningful to me. 

Care, compassion and kindness – I feel that is what drives me. I love teaching students, and the respect I get from them motivates me to do more and more. If they are giving me so much, why can’t I? 

For me, it has to be equitable. Students should not feel they are missing out because they are not in Brisbane. Give me a laptop and a Zoom link, and I can confidently say I will give my students the same teaching, no matter where they are. 

I want students to be able to study medicine without having to leave their roots. It may not happen in one or two years, but we can try. 

They should not have to come to us. We should go to them.” 

Shubham Chawre

Data Manager, UQ Poche Centre

“I came to Australia from India as an international student looking for knowledge and opportunity. Queensland opened a door for me, and I believe that once you gain knowledge and skills, you should keep that door open for others. 

A lot of who I am comes from my family. My father worked incredibly hard so I could have an education and come this far. He is passionate about people and community. My mum is loving, caring, supportive, calm and patient. They are very different people, but I think I carry the best of both of them. 

I feel a responsibility to continue the hard work my dad brought to me. It is in my blood, and I should keep following. 

What has made Queensland feel like home are the people around me. Through the Indigenous communities and people I’ve had the privilege to work alongside, I’ve recognised values that feel familiar to the ones I grew up with. 

Much of what I do happens behind the scenes. I’m not on the frontline, but I give my 100% because I know the work behind the scenes can still make a difference there. 

For me, education and opportunity should never be restricted by geography or socioeconomic circumstances. 

A door was opened for me. I want to help keep it open for others.”

Jessica Saolele

Senior Events Officer, Advancement and Community Engagement

“I always tell my kids that everything is seasonal, as long as there’s growth. 

When we came to Queensland, it was about starting afresh and making this our new home. My tuālima have become part of how I mark that journey. I received my left hand after taking my girls to Samoa for the first time. Six years later, after everything we had grown through, I knew I was ready for my right hand. 

One of the things I’m most proud of is watching the sashing ceremony grow. When I first started, there were about eight graduates. This year, we reached capacity – now we’re talking about needing a bigger venue. To me, that’s what happens when you stay committed to something. You trust the process, and you watch it grow. 

When I look at my kids now, they’re thriving. That to me is testimony. Queensland has provided so much for us and I feel like I have to give back. 

Whatever I do, I want people to leave with a feeling. I don’t want to just tick a box. That feeling – that’s my little bit of magic, my touch. 

When your reason is personal, you don’t really have to pitch it. People see it in the action.” 

Jody Hart

Director of Marketing, Marketing and Communication

“I keep this artwork on my desk because, up close, it’s just hundreds of pencil lines. Individually, they might not look like much. Step back, and you see what all those small lines have built together. Woven through it are the words, ‘Fly, fly, patient seed, an infant earth awaits.’ 

It reminds me that change can feel slow – like we’re not going fast enough, far enough, quick enough. But the lines are still being drawn. The seeds are still growing. 

Social justice was ingrained in my family. My grandmother grew up in Mackay and desperately wanted to go to university. She couldn’t at the time, but she never stopped learning, questioning or holding people to account. She believed in standing shoulder to shoulder with people. Living in line with those values makes me feel closer to her. 

I think real change needs tenacity, curiosity and kindness. You have to speak truth but do it with open arms. I believe the diversity of voices sitting around the table changes what happens, and while that kind of change can be hard, I’m so clear that it is better on the other side. 

The goal is the goal, but curiosity means accepting that the way you thought you’d get there may have to shift. Underneath all the day-to-day work, the bigger question for me is: what kind of a world are we creating? 

For me, purpose has to stay grounded in people.” 

Emeritus Professor Fred D'Agostino

Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

“Since coming to Brisbane in 2004, I’ve swum almost every morning. The pool is its own little community – you see the same people, watch the seasons change, grow older alongside one another. 

My Women’s College badge represents something else I’ve cared about for a very long time. I came of age during second-wave feminism and, frankly, I thought it was fabulous. I saw talented women being given opportunities to lead that they simply weren’t being given previously. When I came here and had the chance to contribute to Women’s College, I wanted to be part of that. 

Then there’s a 1906 High Court decision built around what I think is a fundamental principle of fairness – that people should be able to live a life of dignity, security and what it wonderfully called ‘frugal comfort’. 

Community. Opportunity. Human dignity. 

I’m an institutional guy. I don’t believe that any of us do this on our own. I was given extraordinary opportunities when I arrived here, and I’ve developed an astonishing affection for this place. 

So when I see an institution committing itself to creating opportunity for people across Queensland — regardless of where they live or who their parents were — that lines up with my values. It’s something I want to support.” 

Jayden Weidemann

Senior Manager, Future Students Australia

“Growing up on the Sunshine Coast, university wasn't a path I knew a great deal about. Being the first in my family to go, I remember wondering: is it even an option for me? 

So I stayed curious. My parents drove me to open days. I stumbled across a program that let me sit in lectures, go to tutorials and complete assessments alongside university students. It was a test drive – and suddenly I could picture myself there. 

The photo of Mum, Dad and me at graduation captures the pinnacle of where that curiosity took us. It had been new territory for all of us, but they were along for the journey. 

That’s why there’s nothing better than seeing that same light-bulb moment in another student – watching their eyes light up when they realise, ‘Hey, this is possible.’ 

But for me, success can’t stop at possibility. What happens when students arrive? Are they supported? Do they make it to graduation? Where do they go afterwards? What impact do they make locally, nationally or globally? 

There’s a role we can all play in that journey. No matter where we work, the more of us working towards that shared goal, the better.”