Ever wondered what joining a club at uni is all about? Meet Caitlin, a speech pathology student who found her voice after joining Curtin Singers, and is now studying to help other’s find theirs.
Caitlin has always wanted to work with kids. With both her parents as teachers, Caitlin assumed that she would follow in their footsteps and become a teacher too. However, a whole class seemed overwhelming, and the more she thought about it, the more she realised she wanted to work with them one-on-one.
And so, Caitlin signed up to study speech pathology. Initially, she intended to trial the course for one year, but fell in love with the course almost straight away. Now in her second year, she says her favourite thing about her degree is that “I get to help people communicate what they want to say.”
Though Caitlin loves her coursework, the highlight of her time here at Curtin so far has been the extracurriculars she has been a part of.
When Caitlin enrolled to study at Curtin, her sister, already a Curtin Singers member, encouraged her to join the club. Caitlin has always loved singing and was curious to know what Curtin Singers was all about, so she took her sister’s advice and signed up. With weekly rehearsals and no auditions to enter, Caitlin quickly felt immersed in the Curtin Singers club culture, which is all about having fun while singing socially.
Since then, she’s gone on to become the Secretary of Curtin Singers, as well as a member of Rhythmos Choir, which is an a cappella choir run by Curtin Singers that requires all its members to pass an audition process.
For Caitlin, it’s the tight-knit community that Curtin Singers and Rhythmos Choir foster that makes it truly special. Through social events such as picnics and karaoke nights, as well as weekly meetings with club members, Caitlin has gotten to know other students outside of her degree, some of whom have become her best friends.
“You find people who you never would have spoken to.”
Joining the club has also boosted Caitlin’s confidence, as she now voices her ideas and opinions during committee meetings, where she once would have struggled to contribute.
As the Secretary of Curtin Singers, Caitlin has been involved behind the scenes in organising social events for both choirs. Though this was initially a daunting task, Caitlin says that it is rewarding to see her hard work pay off. One of the latest events Caitlin has had a hand in organising was a Curtin Singers casual picnic at Kings Park, which inevitably ended with all the club members breaking out into song.
Though her extracurriculars certainly keep her busy, Caitlin is glad that she took a chance and signed up for Curtin Singers. After all, Caitlin says that while studying can be hard, “Don’t stress too much… Take some time to enjoy uni. Not every week needs to be full-on.”
In the future, Caitlin would love to become more independent by starting her career and moving out of home. But for now, she wants to explore her options through her degree and continue confidently belting out renditions of “Dancing Queen” at Curtin Singers karaoke nights.
If you want to find you voice and meet like-minded students, don’t forget to check out the club stalls at this semester’s Student Guild O-Day on 22 February 2023.
Written by creative writing and professional writing and publishing student, Abbey Carson.
