In this episode we’re talking with a young woman who has really shown commitment and determination to work towards her dream of becoming a doctor…. She hasn’t quite decided exactly which field of medicine she’ll ultimately go into but as she’s towards the end of her Degree in Medicine at Newcastle university these are the next things on her agenda.
Often when we think of students in the medical sciences we assume that academically they were shining stars from the womb! Chatting to Susannah we discover that quite often this is not the case, and she candidly shares with me what it was like to begin boarding school at Ascham in support classes for maths and English and gradually work her way up to the top rung.
Remarkably Susannah has another goal she’s working towards and that’s playing rugby for Australia. She’s been part of the Brumbies Super W team for a couple of years, taking a step back this year to focus on the last semesters of medicine but she has definitely not parked that ambition.
Growing up at Yass with her brothers and parents on their sheep and wool property, she headed off to the local primary school like every other kid around the district. It’s the unwavering determination and achievements of Susannah since beginning boarding school and university that we really shone a light on in this conversation.
We often talk about boarding school being an inclusive and wonderful time for families and the boarders and Susannah talks about this – her parents connections with other parents from her cohort of boarders, the fact they still gather every year for lunch at someone’s home from that year group, and the sense of community she felt right from the word go at Ascham.
I know you’ll enjoy this conversation with Susannah Cooke. Don’t forget to take a couple of minutes to Follow our podcast Destination Boarding, like this episode, rate it and share the series with friends and family. Thanks so much.