For Kelly Buchanan, university was always part of her plan – but raising five children on a farm west of Gympie pushed back her timeline much longer than anticipated.

But that delay created a special opportunity – she started studying at UniSC alongside her eldest son, as a stepping stone to a career in human services.

“I briefly attempted tertiary study straight after high school education, it wasn't the right fit at the time,” Kelly said.

‘I thought I’d wait for my chickies to fly before I figured out what I wanted to do. But it turned out that I had a lot of children, and had them quite far apart, so my own self-discovery was left far later in life.”

For 18 years, Kelly's life revolved around her family and community, volunteering in roles including playgroup coordinator, tuckshop convenor, sports coach and church ministry leader.

Years later, a visit to UniSC's Open Day at the Sunshine Coast campus in 2022 with her son Jed – then in Year 12 – reignited the idea of completing a degree.

"I remembered the promise I'd made to myself to study when all the kids were at school,” Kelly said

The next year – as her youngest daughter headed to preschool – she headed to UniSC’s Gympie campus to begin a Diploma in Social and Human Services.

“The experience has been incredible. My first year in particular was so rewarding. It reignited confidence in myself as a whole human, not as someone's wife, someone's mother,” she said.

“I realised my capacity to learn and to achieve. I met amazing people and developed lifelong friends and colleagues in the field. I couldn't stop at just the diploma; I had to keep going.”

Turning compassion into a career

The diploma provided a pathway into a Bachelor of Human Services and a career that allows Kelly to follow a long-held passion.

"A helping profession was always in the back of my mind. I have a heart for people and their stories."

And it has transformed more than her career prospects.

“It has changed the way I think about the world and how I see my environment. It has put a fire in my belly to help facilitate change in accessibility of education in regional and rural Australia,” she said.

“I come across a lot of people, women in particular, who just don't even think of university as an option because of where we live and the busy-ness of life.

“But the reward for me has been so huge that I just want to make it possible for anyone who wants to access it.”

Keeping it in the family

Kelly says her university journey is made more special by not doing it alone. She is now part of a trio of family members studying at UniSC.

After enrolling with his mother in 2023, Jed is now in his final year of a Bachelor of Education (Primary) while his wife Nicki, who he met through a mutual friend at UniSC, is studying a Bachelor of Design.

It has created a unique family support network.

"We understand the pressures that come throughout each trimester and can support one another when it's needed," Kelly said. "It means we can bounce ideas off each other and help each other out."

A campus that feels like home

A strong advocate for regional education, Kelly credits UniSC Gympie with making university possible.

"Gympie campus made uni a reality for me when it wouldn't have been otherwise," she said. "It feels like home."

Alongside her studies, Kelly now also works in administration at UniSC Gympie, helping other students navigate university life and access support services.

"I want to see all students succeed, but I will always have a special place in my heart for the Gympie students.

“What I love here is that everyone gets to know everyone. Even if they aren't studying the same discipline as you, you still can get to know them and share life with them.”

Kelly's message is clear for anyone wondering whether it's too late to start studying.

"Follow your goals. It's never too late to discover what you're capable of."