Meet Douglas Finch. An individual whose perseverance has helped overcome society’s nature to impart impossibility.
Previously studying a Certificate lll in Engineering, coupled with an apprenticeship as a boilermaker, Douglas’s career took him from working at sea in the Australian Merchant Navy to construction sites and fly-in fly-out (FIFO) work located in regional Queensland.
After seven years of FIFO work, Douglas made the decision to pursue his interest in law and enrolled at UniSQ.
Doubt can often be the biggest barrier to success and Douglas reflects that he could easily have ended up in mechanical engineering given his past.
‘I thought that I had bitten off more than I could chew and had many moments where I doubted my ability to do it and whether or not I was smart enough to make it to the end.’
Knowing he would have to go back to a career he wasn’t happy in served as motivation for Douglas to overcome and persevere.
Douglas has crafted his own success throughout his study journey, but believes that with the right approach and attitude, anyone studying a Bachelor of Laws can do the same for themselves.
‘Try hard – if the lecturers see you are putting the effort in they will bend over backwards to help you; and never give up and never sell yourself short.’
As of 2019, Douglas will be serving alongside a Queensland judge as a Judge’s Associate - a major achievement for someone in his final year of study.
