'Receiving this scholarship confirmed that I had made the right decision to pursue teaching as a mature-aged student who loved working with young people.'
– Talia Beater, Master of Learning and Teaching student and scholarship recipient
Inspired by the transformative impact teachers can have on a child’s life, soon-to-be University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) graduate Talia Beater has always felt called to the classroom.
After years working with young people in psychology and ministry roles, her passion for education was ignited and she knew it was time to pursue her long-held dream of becoming a primary school teacher.
Attracted by the flexible online study options and opportunity to balance her work commitments while completing her degree, Talia enrolled in UniSQ’s Master of Learning and Teaching.
Throughout her studies, Talia has embraced every opportunity to learn from experienced educators and expand her ‘teaching toolkit’.
“I have really enjoyed the placement experiences to apply the learned course content and trial different teaching strategies,” she said.
“A huge chunk of teaching practice is learning how to be a critically reflective teacher in order to identify the strategies for learning that work brilliantly and other ways that don’t work.”
Reflecting on the challenges and breakthroughs of balancing work, study and professional placements, she said the experience has taught her a lot about her own resilience and commitment.
“I have learned so much about my strengths and dedication to the profession, and also how to make teaching decisions that are grounded in personal values and evidence-based practice.”
Earlier this year, she was awarded a 2025 Barry Fields Memorial Scholarship to support her through the final stages of her degree.
“As a postgraduate student, it was the only teaching scholarship I was eligible for, so I was both hopeful and very surprised when I found out I had been granted the scholarship,” she said.
“Receiving this scholarship confirmed that I had made the right decision to pursue teaching as a mature-aged student who loved working with young people.”
“The scholarship arrived at the right time to ease my concerns of having to take time off work to complete my final teaching placement.”
With her studies complete, her teacher registration finalised and a full-time position secured at an independent primary school for 2026, Talia’s dream is within reach.
“As someone who has wanted to pursue a career in education for a very long time, I am very excited to start teaching and have my own class,” she said.
“I am really looking forward to integrating important values such as kindness, empathy and integrity into my own classroom environment.”
As she prepares to begin her first teaching role, Talia said she will always be inspired by the educator whose legacy made her scholarship possible.
“The generosity of Mark and Tim, Barry’s sons, is an investment in every child I will teach throughout my career.”
“Barry sounded like a teacher who sparked curiosity, supported students wholeheartedly, and helped build their confidence.”
“I hope to be a teacher who reflects the same passion for learning that Barry embodied.”
