For MacKenzie Poulish, studying in the city has been an exciting experience, and one that has only amplified her desire to pursue a life and career in regional Australian.
Born in Narrogin, one of the larger towns in the Wheatbelt, MacKenzie spent most of her life in the Great Southern, first moving to Gnowangerup, then Albany. Moving five hours north to Perth was a tough decision, but one that MacKenzie had felt was looming over her as she approached the end of high school. Following a gap year, MacKenzie moved up to Perth, beginning a Bachelor of Science in Paramedicine at Curtin University. However, one year into the degree, MacKenzie ultimately decided that Paramedicine wasn’t for her. I tried to branch out and do something a bit different, but I could just never imagine myself finishing up in the city, MacKenzie explains. She realised that her true passions were agriculture and livestock, and she switched to a Bachelor of Agribusiness. Gnowangerup, where MacKenzie grew up, was a farming community, and her dad was a livestock agent who dealt with sheep buying. When she was younger and still lived at home, MacKenzie would go to work with him. She credits that experience, and her fond memories of it, with sparking her interest in the sector. She is especially interested in food production – I think it’s really cool to be involved in something that’s helping to feed people, she says.
While MacKenzie is enjoying her chosen path of Agribusiness, studying away from home hasn’t always been easy. Her homesickness and the five-hour drive between Perth and Albany have been some of her biggest challenges. It’s not like you can really pop home and have a chat or a cuppa, MacKenzie says. Although she lives with her sister in Perth, being so far from her parents can be tough – it’s been hard going from being so close to Mum and Dad to not being around them at all, she explains. However, MacKenzie has managed to develop some strategies to deal with her homesickness – having a routine and keeping busy with work, sport and uni help to keep her mind off feeling homesick. Moving away was difficult, but MacKenzie has been determined to make the best of it. She explains: I thought, while I’m up here for three years, I’ll just enjoy it and try to have a good time!
One part of her life in the city that MacKenzie has loved is the social side of things – meeting new people and making new friends. I think when you’re living in the town that you’ve grown up in, you get into a bit of a routine of being around the same people or not going out. Being in Perth definitely teaches you how to mingle and how to socialise! MacKenzie has built a new community for herself in Perth – she plays football and hockey and has become close with the tight-knit Agribusiness cohort at Curtin. She has come to know people in her degree well – being a relatively small degree, MacKenzie has found plenty of friends and classmates to rely on, bounce ideas off and socialise with outside of class.
While her interest in livestock and food production played a part in her decision to transfer to a Bachelor of Agribusiness, another key factor was MacKenzie’s love of living in the country. Growing up in small country towns, she always felt a strong sense of community with her neighbours that she couldn’t quite replicate in Perth. Having been away from the country while studying, MacKenzie is keen to return to the regions once she finishes her degree. First on her list is the Northern Territory, where she hopes to see how farming is done differently from the Great Southern – she’s keen to experience mustering and learn how the heat affects crop irrigation. I don’t think I’ll settle down for a long time, probably another 10 years, because I just want to explore! I just want to be in the country – I don’t mind where, as long as I’m breathing fresh air.
Knowing that her plan was always to end up back in the country has helped MacKenzie make the best use of her brief time in the city. I said to myself when I moved up, if you’re only going to be up here for three to four years, make your time worth it! She encourages others considering the move to think about things the same way. Don’t dwell on being homesick or that you’re missing out on things at home and that your parents are five hours away. Just think about the things that you can do up here – go to the pub with your mates, go to the beach and enjoy actually being up here! MacKenzie suggests that the best way to deal with the move is to try your best to make living in Perth an experience that you’ll look back on fondly in 20 years.