University wasn’t originally a consideration for Tom Leverenz, who took two gap years following high school, yet he’s now in a leadership role at a large public R-12 school in the south of Adelaide.

Why did you decide to choose teaching?

I was interested in challenging young people, and being inspired by young people every day.

Do any of your own teachers stand out as notably inspiring?

Russell Brown was the Physical Education head at Flinders University and his personalised approach to working with students inspired many to become the best educators we could be. His passion for PE was infectious!

How did your studies prepare you for your future career?

Flinders equipped me with the knowledge, skills and passion to become an educator – a career that has transformed the way I think about the world.

Did you end up in your planned field of teaching?

I studied a Bachelor of Education – upper primary/lower secondary, and I now teach in senior secondary and lead across secondary.

What do you recall about your learning environment at Flinders?

The combination of the Sturt and main campus was an interesting geographical layout. Flinders has nice natural elements that you could work in – flexible learning environments.

How important were teaching placements during your studies? 

My teaching practicals that were organised by Flinders taught me a lot about how to be an educator. I went to the country for two of them – completing pracs at Clare High School and Burra Community College.