Narelle Campbell
Former Antarctic Station Leader, NSW Australian of the Year Finalist
What’s your connection to the MidCoast?
I was raised in Wingham and moved to Glenthorne in my early teens. I remained in the local area up until my late 20's, moved to Sydney for numerous years then over a ten-year period worked for the Australian Antarctic Division in Antarctica. My family owned and managed timber mills in Gloucester, Wingham, Taree and Langley Vale the first mill dating back to the 1940's. My father’s family owned farms at Caparra, Marlee and Elands from the mid 1800's. I returned permanently to the local area in 2015.
Why TUC? What does this project mean to you?
TUC is very important to our local community.
During my high school years attending college or university was never an option for me as I didn't want to leave the local area......I had a fabulous circle of friends, involved in sport and outdoor activities, was very close to my family and as a country kid leaving home and moving to the 'big smoke' was daunting. When I left school, I applied for a job at The Manning River Times and that job kick started a 24-year career in newspapers. It wasn’t until I moved to Sydney and worked for Fairfax I decided to pursue university studies – in my early 40’s I completed degrees in Social Sciences, NLP and Counselling.
Now….. for anyone living in our local area regardless of their age, background, current and previous career choices, and/or circumstances there are many available career and educational options through TUC and what is most unique to students studying at TUC is the one-on-one support and guidance provided by the enthusiastic team at TUC.
What does success look like for you and TUC?
Success means different things for different people, …..success to me involves the ability and desire to continually move forward regardless of how big or small your steps are. Just keep moving forward in a direction you believe is right for you. Everyone experiences challenges along the way, navigate around those challenges and keep moving forward. That’s success. Also, to be inspired by others, don't compare yourself to others, it’s an individual journey.
TUC offers people from all walks of life, regardless of age, the opportunity to change and grow in a supportive learning environment without having to pack up and move. In TUC’s first year of operation, student numbers continued to increase. For many of these students they are now in careers they never believed possible without having to leave the area. That's success.