Two best friends and graduands from the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) plan to use their theatre degrees to cast themselves into the community.
Cherish Zimmerle and Lizzy Stanfield Flores – one of the 2024 Valedictorians – met while studying and will graduate together at the UniSQ 2024 Winter Graduation Ceremony in Toowoomba.
But their story will not end there.
Having found friendship, the pair are eager to use their stage skills to make a positive community impact by providing emerging artists with opportunities to collaborate.
Reflecting on her Bachelor of Creative Arts and Community Wellbeing, Ms Stanfield Flores praised the holistic approach of the program.
“One of the greatest things about creative arts at UniSQ is that you don't just learn how to be an artist; you learn how to create a work, write, and produce,” she said.
“Part of the degree is through a social work lens and mental health training.
“I had a chance at the end of my degree to do two placements with the lovely people at Anglicare and put into practice what it's like to use drama as a tool for mental health.”
Miss Zimmerle echoed these sentiments about the community and collaborative spirit she found at UniSQ during her Bachelor of Theatre degree.
“I just felt right at home, and I know something just clicked in me,” she said.
“Everyone was just so welcoming, lovely and professional that I was like, ‘This is what I really want to do’.
“It was not just showing you how to act, but also taught you techniques and how to build a platform and make a living, a career, out of this job that's very demanding.”
UniSQ’s upcoming graduation ceremony in Toowoomba marks the start of an exciting new chapter for the creative friends.
While Miss Zimmerle looks forward to performing across Queensland next year, Ms Stanfield Flores will soon begin an honours project with the UniSQ School of Creative Arts to discover even more about the industry she loves so much.
The pair aim to continue using the power of friendship and a shared passion for the arts to make a difference.
Find out more about studying Creative Arts at UniSQ.
