By JOLENE OGLE
At just 26, USC graduate Ashleigh Morris is poised to take on the waste management world.
Ashleigh has recently landed an invitation to study Honours through research at the University of New South Wales, plus an internship with an innovative world-leading waste management company.
But it hasn’t been an easy journey for the former Coolum Coast Care volunteer.
“I left school at 14, when I was a wayward teen,” she said.
“I’ve had my struggles, and I never thought I would be where I am.”
Ashleigh said she left school as a “troubled teen” and began a career in hospitality, before completing her certificate in commercial cookery and working as a chef for 10 years.
“Although I enjoyed the career path, I felt I had the potential to contribute to the health and well-being of the environment,” she said.
And so her passion for the environment grew. Ashleigh joined the band of volunteers at the Coolum Coast Care Group and said there was little in life that was more wonderful than seeing the benefits of caring for the environment.
“I love being outside with the group, sitting on the dunes, enjoying the breeze while we pull invasive plant species,” she said.
“We would plant back native species and watch as the birds returned. It was the best place to volunteer.”
Ashleigh took her first steps into university education during the summer of 2011 where she enrolled in the entry program, Tertiary Preparation Pathway, and gained a GPA of 6.5 out of 7.
Gaining confidence, Ashleigh was accepted into a bachelor of environmental health science, where she went on to be awarded the Prime Minister’s Australia Asia Undergraduate Award in 2012 in recognition of her research proposal on waste management in Indonesia.
In 2014, Ashleigh received a personal invitation from Professor Veena Sahajwalla to undertake Honours at the University of New South Wales and in 2015, Ashleigh received the highest award from USC, the Chancellors Medal, in recognition of her outstanding academic achievements.
But the humble research student says anyone can achieve their dreams, “they just have to put one foot in front of the other”.
“It will all fall into place if you work hard and start taking steps,” she said.
“I know people out there will think they’re not smart enough for university, but you can achieve anything you want when you put your mind to it.
“They may not believe in themselves, but I do. I believe in them.”
Ashleigh said it was important for young people to know that “wayward” years were common, and people shouldn’t feel bad for taking time to figure out what they wanted to do in life.
“Don’t be hard on yourself if you have some years as a wayward teen. It’s normal,” she said.
“You need to take the time to find what makes you feel good and then you’ll be good at it. Just put one foot in front of the other.”
