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Life changing Transition to Uni Program

Western College

Monday, 24 September, 2018.

Dubbo boy Dylan Hill was drafted into representative rugby league when he was 14. This opened a pathway to play professionally with NRL teams Cronulla Sharks and Manly Sea Eagles. A career in the top leagues awaited him. 

Despite his talent and enthusiasm, repeated serious injuries meant that Dylan’s promising NRL career was over as quickly as it started. “It was a really tough time, I came home to Dubbo and didn’t know what I was going to do,” Dylan said. 

It was around this time that Dylan’s friends told him about Transition to Uni, a new program being piloted at Dubbo’s Western College. 

“I spoke with Anne and the Transition to Uni team about my career options and what my passions were. I have always been interested in teaching; as a teacher you can be a positive influence on young people and hopefully help them make good choices,” Dylan said.

The Transition to Uni program is designed to assist young people from a low-socioeconomic background access university education, and help them overcome the common barriers to success faced by people in regional communities. 

“Our program has been designed to help young adults who, for various socioeconomic and home situational reasons, haven’t pursued tertiary education. This is despite them having the literacy and numeracy skills needed to succeed,” Transition to Uni Program Director, Anne Shortis said. 

“We help the students identify their career goals and then match them with a university course. We provide support throughout the university enrolment process and then offer full mentoring during those first few assessments. 

“We’re about making sure that we’re not setting the students up for failure. Once the first few assignments are completed, we offer a weekly drop-in centre to help mentor students for the remainder of their first year”, Anne said. 

“After my chat with Anne, I was motivated to enrol at university and I haven’t looked back,” Dylan said. 

Dylan enrolled in a Bachelor of Education degree and the Transition to Uni program supported him during his first year of study. He particularly sought assistance with essay writing, referencing, and providing guidance on how to prepare for exams. 

Anne said that the program had given participants confidence to know that they can achieve.“The confidence the students have gained from participating in this program has been really good for them. 

“Two students have already secured a better job than they had before, a direct result of the confidence and skills they’ve gained by participating in this program,” Anne said. 

Dylan credits the support he received from the Transition to Uni program and his mentor for helping him successfully progress through his degree. 

“The ongoing mentoring and tutoring I’ve received has been a massive help. I wouldn’t be this far in my degree if it hadn’t been for this support,” said Dylan. 

Looking into the future, Dylan is focussed on paying it forward and mentoring the youth in his local community. 

“It’s my goal to teach locally. I want to be a mentor for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. Coming from a community like Dubbo and with my Indigenous background, I want to show the community that you can go to university, you can get a degree, and you can set an example for the young ones,” Dylan said. 

“This program has met its original intention of giving those from a low-socioeconomic background an opportunity. It’s also given Dubbo a lot of young people with qualifications that are going to benefit the community in the long term,” Anne said.

Dylan Hill, Western College program participant
Dylan Hill, program participant.
Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation annual review 2017/18
Dylan Hill, program participant and Anne Shortis, Program Director.
Transition to Uni has changed Dylan’s life.

DYLAN HILL

So I'm studying to be a teacher, doing a bachelor primary.

I've also got a degree of casework behind me and I also love the game of rugby league.

I was fortunate enough to, from probably the age of 14, to move into representative football.

I played some NRL trials but unfortunately had some career-ending injuries.

It was definitely some dark times. I struggled with coming to terms with the injuries and why it happened to me.

It's opened a pathway to something new and I never thought I'd become a teacher.

So I guess everything happens for a reason.

As I was thinking about the idea of whether I wanted to join university or not, I met with the ladies from the Transition to University program.

I think that really just motivated me and pushed me in the right direction and now I haven't looked back.

I don't believe I'd be where I'm at today, if it wasn't for them.

ANNE SHORTIS

Dylan is an outstanding young man. He has almost completed two years of his Bachelor of Education degree; he'll make such a wonderful teacher and such a good role model for younger students especially Aboriginal students.

The Transition to Uni for youth program was designed to assist young people from low socio-economic background to access the university education.
The Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation funded us for $27,500.

It wouldn't have gone ahead without the foundation. We didn't have any funding for this program and the students certainly appreciated that Newcastle Permanent gave them the opportunity to pursue this university course.

DYLAN

I want to show other Aboriginal people, not just students, some adults, that you can go on to university and get a degree and education and really come back into your communities.