Tonight marked the final presentation for our 2025 UniSC DeLorean PhD Mentorship cohort, and what an incredible night it was! It also marked the end of an era, as this will be the last cohort to experience this one-of-a-kind program (at least in its current form for the foreseeable future).
For the past 10 years, this unique partnership between Glasshouse Christian College and the University of the Sunshine Coast has matched Year 10 DeLorean students with UniSC HDR candidates. Together, using a mentorship framework, GCC students and their HDR mentors have worked on real PhD research, contributing to knowledge that matters while building skills that will serve them for life.
A little taste of this year’s presentations:
- Mischa presented her research on “Developing an Intervention Framework to Improve Psychosocial Safety Climate and Reduce Workplace Incivility” under the supervision of Anna Holder-Greaves.
- Amelia shared her research on “Exploring climate-smart school meals within Pacific Island Communities” under the supervision of Jenna Perry.
- Laura presented her research on “‘Associations between bone health and depression – understanding underlying mechanisms using population datasets” under the supervision of Jasmin Elliott.
In 2015, I met with a UniSC Professor and over a coffee, we hatched a crazy plan to pair high school students with PhD researchers to see what learning took place. We are still not quite sure how we managed to pull it of,f nor did we understand the impact it would have!!!
Over the last decade, 47 GCC students have been mentored by 40 HDR candidates (some HDR candidates returned to the program over multiple years to mentor), and tonight we were joined by many of those past students and mentors as we celebrated the program’s legacy. It was a wonderful way to fully understand just how influential this program has been for students and their mentors.
A heartfelt thank you to Beryl Morris, who has been the engine that keeps this program running week to week. Her dedication, care, and belief in both our students and their mentors have shaped this program into what it is today.
And a huge thank you to UniSC for supporting this vision of authentic, future-focused learning for the past decade. This partnership has demonstrated what’s possible when schools and universities truly collaborate to empower young people.
While the program won’t continue in its current form, the impact it’s had on both students and mentors will continue for years to come.
PS: If you’re really observant, you may have wondered “what the heck is on Rob’s face?!?”… I may or may have booked myself in to be wired up for a sleep study prior to attending this event. The funniest part was that people thought I was just part of the research projects!
Rob Steffler, Dean of Studies
