Staff Profile

Isabelle Riley

From a young age, I knew I wanted to work with people and that I did not want to be stuck behind a desk on the daily grind.  I have always had an interest in health, but what exactly I wanted to do beyond school was a mystery when I finished at 17, so I took a gap year.

During that year I worked in the tourism industry, where I got to interact and work with people from around the world every day;  I loved it, but still had a yearning to pursue a career within the health industry. 

At the end of my gap year, I accepted a place to study Health Sciences at Deakin University, and being from Darwin, I moved myself across the country to undertake my studies. The course allowed me to combine my interests of both human and environmental health, and to study a range of areas connected to the fields. At the end of my second year, I considered moving into a teaching degree.  I didn't, but instead finished my bachelor’s degree. 

Throughout my degree, I continued to work within the tourism industry and upon completion of my bachelor's, returned to work within the industry full time.  Yet again, I knew this career path was not quite the one for me and I decided to enrol in my Masters of Teaching.  After moving between states and territories and career paths a few times, I finally felt like I was on the right path for me.  Needless to say, I haven't looked back. 

Making connections between the classroom and the world beyond is something I strive for in my day-to-day teaching practice, with the 'light bulb moment' being the ultimate goal.