Combining passion with purpose: Nikki Cox honoured with UniSQ Alumnus Award for Community Impact

“My favourite thing in the world is seeing students succeed and achieve their dreams.”

At just 18, Nikki Cox packed up her life, moved out of home and stepped into adulthood – driven by determination and a childhood dream.

That dream? To become a teacher and help young children learn, grow, and believe in themselves.

She enrolled in the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ)'s Bachelor of Education and worked full-time to support herself.

Nikki’s schedule was hectic and spare time was scarce. Her mental health was declining as fast as the pressure was mounting. The dream she had envisioned for so long was slipping from her grasp.

She was doing everything to try and keep it alive – late nights, extra shifts, countless sacrifices. She was just getting by until she was thrown a lifeline – a scholarship.

The helping hand was enough to put her back on track and reignite her spark and determination. Plenty of hard work followed, but she got to the finish line.

In 2013, she graduated from UniSQ with first-class honours. She was also accepted into the Golden Key International Honour Society – a prestigious organisation that recognises academic excellence.

With her degree in hand, Nikki stepped into the workforce and started shaping the lives of young people.

But her impact soon extended beyond the classroom.

Growing up, she was a standout soccer and touch football player with a love for rugby league. She was always in the thick of the action with the boys, dreaming of what could be.

There were no pathways available for girls wanting to play rugby league when she was a teenager. Fast forward 10 years, and that story changed.

She had an opportunity to trial for a local representative team. She grabbed it with both hands and hasn’t looked back.

Nikki made her debut last year with the Western Clydesdales in the BMD Premiership and then joined the Ipswich Jets for their inaugural campaign in the same competition. Her performances earned her a place in the Queensland City team against Queensland Country.

What started as a love for the game has evolved into something so much more. A burning desire to be a part of the ongoing change in women’s rugby league.

Her work as a secondary school teacher and involvement with Ipswich State High School’s Girls Rugby League Program of Excellence are helping her do just that.

Leading by example, she’s using her experience to develop and inspire the next generation of athletes.

Nikki’s not just opening doors for girls who love playing rugby league, she’s also equipping them with the life skills and confidence to believe in themselves and pursue their dreams. No matter how big they are.

In recognition of her contributions on and off the field, Nikki was awarded the Alumnus Award for Community Impact at UniSQ’s 2025 Alumni Awards.

Her dream was to become a teacher. And she’s become so much more.

I was a bit of a misfit as a kid

“I first showed an interest in rugby league back in Year 8 at school when I used to muck around with the boys at lunch.”

“There weren’t a lot of girls who were into sports or liked to play sports at lunch time. Playing football at lunchtime with the boys was one of the few times that I actually felt ‘accepted’ or that sense of belonging that we all yearn for as kids.”

“By 27, my husband and I decided to start a family and had our first child. Six weeks after she was born, I decided to trial for the local representative team. I’d never really played, didn’t know positions or plays, and had literally just given birth.”

“I had my first training session and immediately fell in love with girls who played, the contact, the fitness, the connection of the players and the sheer power it took to run the ball and make tackles.”

“As an anxious person who was recovering from quite severe social anxiety, playing football was the only place where all my problems disappeared.”

“Even just for a short time, nothing else mattered except the job at hand, the girls beside me and protecting my teammates. I think finding rugby league was a huge turning point in my life where I was able to feel empowered, draw confidence and develop some very important life skills.”

I was always destined to become a teacher

“I always felt connected to my own teachers in high school. I loved spending time with them and really admired what they did. I was very lucky to have had some of the most amazing teachers in my time and they inspired me to become one myself.”

“I have always loved helping my peers. All through high school, I would help tutor my classmates and explain questions to people who didn’t understand. Even back then, it was those ‘lightbulb’ moments that gave me so much joy.”

“When someone realised they were capable of learning or doing something new because of the way I’d explained it, my desire to become a teacher grew even stronger.”

Against all odds

“The highlight of my time at UniSQ was studying in a place that understood me as a person. I had a very difficult life during my time at university, and to be honest, I’m not sure I would have made it out the other side without the support of UniSQ.”

“I am forever grateful to have received the Vice Chancellor’s Principal’s Recommendation Scholarship.”

“I moved out of home at 18 and was renting a house, working full-time, studying full-time, and trying to manage my rapidly declining mental health.”

“Being able to study both online and face-to-face across both the Toowoomba and Springfield campuses made it much easier to balance my hectic schedule.”

“UniSQ always had my back and made it possible for me to graduate and build a much better life for myself.”

My favourite thing in the world

“I am incredibly blessed to have been able to land my dream job working back at my old school – Ipswich State High School – in the Girls Rugby League Excellence Program.”

“I absolutely love the staff, the students, my job, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I take part in a lot of representative football with coaching and trainer roles. I regularly go away with our Metropolitan West girls rugby league teams, work with the Queensland School girls team, and this year will be going away with the Australian School girls team as their trainer.”

“Working in the Girls Rugby League Excellence Program allows me to work with girls who love playing footy while teaching them life-skills, supporting them as a holistic athlete, and being a mentor or role model for our students.”

“My favourite thing in the world is seeing our students succeed and achieving their dreams. I’m not sure there is a better feeling.”

“My goal is to keep refining my craft and keep learning with every opportunity I can get my hands on. I’d like to become the best coach possible to prepare our local girls for a bright future as both a player and a student.”

“I can’t wait to be part of the change that is continuing for female football. We are growing and evolving, and I would love to be able to contribute to the positive changes that are occurring. I am really looking forward to working with the Ipswich Jets to make some incredible changes and improvements for our female athletes for now and the future.”

You can’t be what you can’t see

“Representing the Ipswich Jets in the inaugural BMD season means so much to me because I’m a local Ipswich girl who has been waiting a very long time for this opportunity.”

“This team is so much more than just a ‘rugby league team’. Our BMD team represents a pathway for all our local junior girls to have something to aspire to work towards.”

“‘You can’t be what you can’t see’ – and now we have an opportunity to show our juniors just what hard work can get you.”

“We now have a legitimate pathway for girls to pursue a career in rugby league. For too long, we’ve lost our local talent to Brisbane. This team means we can keep our local talent and build something special here at the Ipswich Jets.”

“Having overcome several injuries, missed seasons for my pregnancies, and spent a lot of my life wishing I had the chance to play, I’ve developed a strong sense of gratitude for every opportunity I have to train and play.”

“I’ll never take a session for granted, so even on my toughest days when I’m exhausted beyond belief, I’ll always find something in me to step up and make the most of every training session.”

You can be anything you want to be

“One of my most memorable playing moments was in the Women’s Diggers Team last year. I was selected as a lock (forward), weighing in at a whopping 55kgs at the time! I was proud to have played every minute of the tournament and be selected in the Queensland City Women’s team.”

“The reason I’m so proud of this moment is because after my last game, a girl from my school came up to congratulate me and said, ‘My Dad’s always told me I’m too small to play lock. But he watched you out there today and was impressed. He told me maybe I could be a lock if I wanted to.”

“That moment has stuck with me because it proves that you can be anything you want to be if you work hard and give it everything you’ve got. This has become the reason that I still play at my age. I love to defy the odds, inspire young girls and prove people wrong.”

A life-altering opportunity

“I froze when I heard my name called out as the winner of the Alumnus Award for Community Impact.”

“After listening to all the other nominations, I didn’t think in a million years my name would come up because everyone in that room was so incredible.”

“The roles of mother, teacher and coach are incredibly rewarding, but they don’t usually come with a lot of acknowledgement or appreciation.”

“I’m just really taken aback to even be noticed in this way. It’s such an honour.”

“Education has been a life-altering opportunity for me. Without my Education degree, I would not be where I am. Education has opened so many doors for me and allowed me to build a much better life for myself and my family. Knowledge truly is power.”

“Without the support and flexibility I received from UniSQ, I would not have been able to finish my degree and end up in the position I am today.” 

Nikki Cox was one of three graduates recognised in this year’s UniSQ Alumni Awards.

Prominent agribusiness innovator Mac Drysdale received the Alumnus of the Year and Alumnus Award for Leadership & Professional Excellence awards. Artist and activist Dr Ally Zlatar was awarded Young Alumnus of the Year.