Rachel McFarlane Graduation
Rachel with her parents, Grant and Kathy McFarlane, at Rachel’s recent graduation
Congratulations to Rachel McFarlane who has graduated with a Bachelor of Psychological Science and a Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice.
Rachel said she worked really hard for four years to achieve her degrees and hopes to continue to advance her professional career within the Youth Justice Department, and even plans to return to university in the future to complete a Masters degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice.
She said: “There were a lot of hours spent staring at my computer, reading journal articles, and entering data. But the skills and knowledge I have acquired through my studies are so incredibly valuable. I couldn’t have done it without the ongoing support of my parents, they instilled in me ambition and strength, and have never doubted my ability to achieve anything I set my mind to.
“My passion for criminology and justice has developed through the years, and ultimately has influenced my career path. I initially enrolled to study with the intention of continuing to become a psychologist. However, once I began my studies, I realised how much I loved criminology. I have always been interested in true crime and the psychology of offending, and my degrees allowed me the opportunity to embrace this and achieve highly.
“With time, I began to narrow my focus to study crime prevention, rehabilitation, and youth justice, and it was my high achievement in these areas which I believe lead to my employment with a Queensland Youth Justice Service Centre.
“My psychological science degree equipped me with comprehensive knowledge of the cognitive, social, and biological influences of behaviour and counselling skills, and my criminology and criminal justice degree has focused on theories of crime and crime prevention.
“As a caseworker my focus is on helping young people between 10 and 17 years of age who are involved with the justice system. My role ensures these young people comply with the court’s requirements and are held accountable, but more importantly, assesses which areas in their lives may have led to their offences, with the intention of improving these domains and improving their lives and futures.”
Good luck Rachel!
