When I began my studies at Griffith University, I had a curiosity for business but not yet a clear direction. Over time, I discovered that marketing and management combined everything I valued—creativity, psychology and leadership—into one discipline. My degree has become much more than theory, it's been an arena for experimentation, teamwork, and personal growth.

Throughout the course, I've collaborated on various group projects, learned to manage competing deadlines, and sharpened my ability to turn research into actionable business strategies. I've been challenged to think critically about how people and systems interact, from consumer decision-making to organisational change.

One of my proudest experiences was leading the Qubasoft consulting project, where my team delivered a brand and social media transformation plan for a real client. The project culminated in our team receiving the Industry Choice Award, a moment that affirmed not only our creativity and collaboration but also my growing confidence as a leader. With a GPA of 5.84, I'm now in the Honours phase of my degree, exploring how small businesses adopt AI, a topic that brings together everything I've learned about business behaviour, strategy, and innovation.

Assisi Catholic College was where my sense of leadership, discipline, and community truly began to take shape. During my senior years, I served as a Year 12 Spiritual Leader, a role that gave me the chance to contribute to the school's culture of faith and service.

In Year 12, I received the Subject Excellence Award in Business, an early recognition that affirmed my interest in the field I'd later pursue academically. I was also honoured with the Franciscan Spirit Award for Senior Years 2021, which celebrated not just academic achievement but values like empathy, integrity, and humility, principles that continue to guide how I approach both work and life.

Graduating from Assisi wasn't just about finishing school, it was about learning what it means to lead through example. It's where I discovered that genuine leadership begins with service, a belief that has influenced every step of my educational and professional journey since.

My first real introduction to professional marketing came through this internship, where I joined the team and was thrown straight into the mix. I was responsible for creating and scheduling social media content, editing promotional videos, brainstorming campaign ideas, and learning what it takes to keep a brand consistent across multiple channels.

Working closely with the business owner taught me how creative thinking and operational discipline go hand in hand. I left the internship with sharper communication skills, a deeper understanding of small-business marketing, and a genuine appreciation for the fast-paced, hands-on nature of the industry.

Collaboration With Mentor

Final Day

Although brief, this one-week placement grounded me in the fundamentals of customer service. I supported daily operations, restocked shelves, and interacted with customers on the shop floor. Even in that short time, I realised how vital patience, teamwork, and initiative are in any role that involves people. Those lessons have carried through every professional setting since.

When I first started attending Hillsong Youth on the Gold Coast, I never expected to become a leader. Then one Friday night, one of the leaders approached me and asked if I'd consider stepping up. I hadn't really thought about it before, but something in me said yes.

That moment became the start of what's now been more than four years as a Youth Leader. Each week I help run our Friday night programs, everything from setting up and packing down equipment to managing the run sheet, organising the storeroom, and making sure things flow smoothly behind the scenes. But the heart of it is the people. I co-lead a group of Year 11 boys, mentoring them through discussions, events, and everyday life.

It's not always easy, but that's what I love about it. Every week brings new challenges, whether it be logistics or having conversations that matter. Over time, I've learned that leadership isn't about giving directions, it's about showing up, listening, and creating space for others to grow. This experience has shaped the way I approach teamwork, communication, and responsibility in every other part of my life.

Events Preparation - Pre-service

More recently, I volunteered as a Retail Assistant at the Australian Red Cross Shop in Surfers Paradise. The experience gave me an inside look at how not-for-profit organisations operate and how small acts of service, like greeting customers, tidying a display and processing a sale, can contribute to something much larger.

Both roles have deepened my sense of purpose and my belief that good business and community service are not opposites but partners.

When I first joined the Qubasoft consulting project at Griffith University, I didn't quite know what to expect. I'd led group assignments before, but this was different. It was a real client, with real expectations, and a brand that needed a fresh voice. Early on, I stepped into the role of Team Leader and Marketing Consultant, guiding three other students through a fast-paced, two-month challenge to redefine Qubasoft's online presence.

The project began with research: digging into their brand identity, analysing social-media performance, and benchmarking competitors. From there, I worked closely with my team to develop a transformation plan that balanced creative ideas with data-driven strategy. We created new visual concepts, refined messaging prioritising building trust, and proposed a posting system that could scale with their business.

By presentation day, we weren't just sharing slides, we were pitching a story. Seeing the client's response, the nods of agreement, and the questions about implementation was incredibly rewarding. When our team was later recognised with the Industry Choice Award, it validated not only the work we'd done but also the collaborative process that got us there. It remains one of my proudest experiences because it showed me what happens when creativity, structure, and teamwork truly align.

Industry Choice Award Recipients

The idea for my dissertation didn't come to me in a lecture, it came to me because I recognise the need for good small business performance in Australia and the increasing uptake on artificial intelligence (AI). Through understanding what we know about these in the early days, I started to notice a pattern. Many small business owners want to adopt AI tools but don't know where to start, or simply don't trust them. That uncertainty stuck with me. It wasn't that they lacked interest, it was that the human side of technology adoption was being overlooked.

That realisation became the starting point for my Honours Dissertation, currently titled "A Qualitative Exploration of Small Business Owners' Perspectives on the Use of Artificial Intelligence for Strategic Change Using The COM-B Framework." The research explores how capability, opportunity, and motivation influence how small business owners approach artificial intelligence.

Over the course of the project, I've been combining behavioural theory with real-world insights to understand why some businesses confidently embrace new technology while others hesitate. The goal is not just to analyse data, but to create something useful, a framework that helps small businesses feel equipped, supported, and confident in making technology work for them.