Alumni News

Following their dreams (Class of 2023)

Layla McCrimmon

This time last year Layla McCrimmon’s dream was to work in the funeral industry and now that dream is a reality.

Layla started this year not sure of the route to her dream, but someone suggested going into aged care so that she could get accustomed to seeing people dying. Layla followed this advice and completed a six-month free TAFE course in aged care. She was then thinking about moving into nursing, believing that would make her resume more presentable for funeral homes. However, she came across an ad on marketplace for an undertaker and contacted them, wanting advice on how to get into the industry. The person that she spoke to offered her a position as an undertaker. This person, who works as a mortician, has been a tremendous mentor to Layla, whose ultimate goal is to embalm people. 

During the day, Layla visits hospitals, nursing homes and people’s houses to collect people who have died and take them to the mortuary, and then after work, her mentor takes Layla with her to assist in embalming people. Layla is really enjoying this.

Before working as an undertaker, Layla had never had any experience with seeing someone die. She had been with people in her aged care position whilst they were palliating, but this was as close to death that she had been. 

Layla finds the job incredibly rewarding – especially speaking to the families. “They take it very hard, obviously, and knowing someone cares enough to take care of their loved one, it helps them”.

To get into the industry, Layla says that it is less about what you have on your resume and more about who you know and of course, your attitude. A lot of people believe that the job is psychologically trying and hard, but Layla says that it is really worth it. “The hardest part of the job is not knowing what to say to the families. You don’t want to tell them you understand their feelings, when you are coming into their home to see their parent or grandparent, as you are taking that person away from them. This is really hard, but the embalming part of it is the most worthwhile. You are taking them back to their original self and by the end of the process they look like they should. Being able to send them off and believing that the family would be really happy with how they look, that is really worth it.”

To work in a mortuary doesn’t pay as well as aged care (which Layla says pays very well), but the transport wages are great. You get a normal rate during the day and then if you work the night shift, you can earn quite a lot of money.

Layla recommends for students finishing school to look at different pathways, “you don’t need to go through the first pathway”. Layla followed a “curved route” and actually arrived at her dream job must faster. 

It does take a special person to take on this role, and we think that Layla is a fantastic role model. 

Alannah Birch

Late last year when Alannah was leaving Pakenham Secondary College, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. She put a mix of courses on her VTAC application, such as Information Technology and Psychology. Alannah than looked through some more University Courses and found one that sounded interesting – Health Science. She put this down as her number one preference and got in! Alannah is currently studying her Health Sciences Degree at RMIT University.

Alannah is enjoying the freedom that she has with this course, as it has a lot of different areas to study and in which she can explore. Areas such as biology, psychology, health and human development, Indigenous studies – public health – which is something that she is invested in. Alannah is also one of the top people in her class. 

The great thing about Health Science, Alannah mentioned, is that it can lead into anything health related – she could become a researcher in biology, a psychologist, work in a hospital, teach and many other areas. Alannah’s top three areas are biology, psychology and health and nutrition. 

With biology, Alannah said they do a lot of dissections and the subject has a lot of practical applications. They have dissected hearts, kidneys, brains, so the students get to see the internal organs and learn more about these. She has found studying enzymes and how they effect the body interesting as well. With her interested piqued in subjects such as these, Alannah believes she might be a researcher or a psychologist. Alannah is also interested in the maternal and child side of the course. She can do research papers on that specific subject and learn more – the important thing to note is that “you can choose what you can study.”

Alannah’s advice to our current Year 12 students is to know that “You have choices. Don’t limit yourself to one thing, as you are going to put a whole lot of pressure on yourself and you might not even like it. You can always change your mind.”

It sounds like Alannah has many options and we are certain whichever path she chooses, she will be brilliant!

We wish both Layla and Alannah all the best for the remainder of the year and hope they visit us again in 2025.