Res alum Tayla takes challenges in her stride

Former Deakin Residential Leader Tayla Falconer loves a challenge and has recently embarked on her biggest yet, moving to Darwin to begin a new role in a new city, well outside her comfort zone. She tells us how living on Res helped prepare her for life after university, and broadened her horizons.

Speaking to us at the end of a 14 day quarantine in Darwin as a tropical storm builds outside her window, Tayla is excited to be taking up a new role as Domestic Violence Action Plan Training Coordinator with non-profit organisation, Catholic Care Northern Territory. This will see her visiting community groups and sporting clubs across the NT to roll out a program with a focus on education about and prevention of domestic violence.

She says,

I’m looking forward to working directly with community members and doing something that works toward the greater good.

This has been a big transition for Tayla, who recently graduated from Deakin with a Bachelor of Business and then moved into a rewarding role with local council, before successfully applying for this latest role. She attributes some of this success to skills learned as a Residential Leader (RL) at Deakin Res, saying,

I still speak about my time as an RL in my job interviews. I talked a lot about how you have to find common ground with people, and be open to people from all walks of life. I definitely learned that at Res. I learned that everyone has something in common, and that’s probably the main thing that I’ve taken from my experience.

More broadly, Tayla feels that living on Res has helped prepare her for life after uni, saying,

It taught us to be more independent and organised, including time management and for RLs, wearing many different hats. At the time you probably wouldn’t think about how much these things would impact you later in life.

Originally coming from Portland in South-Western Victoria, Tayla came to Res to build friendships, get experience living independently, meet people with similar interests and challenge herself in a new environment. Coming from a small town to living on campus, she reflects that life on Res helped open her up to different people and opportunities.

I feel like I was a bit closed off and a bit immature before, you know, ‘my friends, my circle’. Living on Res and being an RL has opened things up so much. I was forced to become more outgoing and to care about others more. People would come to you looking for help, and being that person who could help them was a really good feeling. That has carried onto work life, allowing me to be more open to everyone.

Looking back, some of her favourite memories outside her work as an RL were on the sporting field during Res Sport.

I loved Res Sport. It was so much fun and I met so many friends through it that I probably wouldn’t have met otherwise. You see them out on the weekend or at uni and then you’ve got a friendship there! I’m also a very competitive person so it suited me!

When asked if she has any advice for students considering studying at Deakin and living on Res, Tayla has no hesitation, saying,

I tell everyone that they should do it. I just think that it’s an opportunity like no other and it can have such an impact on your life. It gives you a chance to put yourself out there, and it sets you up for not only a place to live while at Uni but also a career afterwards.