More than a qualification: learning to support her health

Karen Moritz had two reasons for signing up for a Graduate Certificate of Public Management. She wanted to bridge her corporate skills, knowledge and experience to become more effective in the public service. Additionally, and arguably more importantly, it helped her maintain her health.  

Studying at Crawford was made possible after she was awarded a scholarship through the Sue Salthouse Leadership Fund. The scholarship was established to assist people with disability to access opportunities that build skills and experience, enhancing the representation and leadership capacity of people with disability.  

Karen works for the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), but she has also been diagnosed with a potentially debilitating condition.  

“My brain function can deteriorate more quickly than the average person due to my disability.  Studying keeps my brain healthy. So, I had two reasons to study,” she explained.  

She told us, “I was diagnosed with my disability approximately 13 years ago.  Prior to that, my career was progressing rapidly. I consistently was headhunted.  When I received my diagnosis, the organisation I worked for made my position redundant.” 

Since then, Karen has been challenging expectations at every turn, working hard to maintain her functional capacity, and developing strategies to reduce deterioration. She says that she is passionate about equity for individuals from diverse groups and changing historical perceptions. Unfortunately, she says perceptions have not fully changed when it comes to her health.  

“I’ve been told that I will never excel at a higher level due to the impact of my disability.  These types of experiences have not deflated me. They indicate that a lot more work needs to be completed so that these antiquated perceptions change.”  

Being able to complete the Graduate Certificate is just another opportunity for her to prove her strength and determination.   

The online option made it even easier for Karen. She was able to study while maintaining her job, which also further supported her health.  

“Relocation was not necessary which meant I didn’t need to leave my essential and ongoing medical supports that I require for my disability,” she said.   

Crawford’s online students, while they may miss out on meeting in person, have all the same learning opportunities as those who attend classes on campus.  

Karen told us, “The teaching format has enabled me to develop friendships with other students. The lecturers have been extremely approachable and have accommodated my unique needs. My experience at Crawford has boosted my confidence in my capabilities, in contrast to some of my workplace experience.” 

“I’ve really appreciated the class input from international students so I can understand different situations and perspectives. I feel that I’ve not only grown in knowledge, but grown as a person when confronting local issues.” 

When it comes to courses, Crawford gives space for passions to develop and grow while being directly relevant to people’s current careers. Karen said that she really enjoyed POGO8239 – Contemporary Challenges in Indigenous Policy due to its immediate implications on her job.   

“I’m especially interested in Indigenous Data Sovereignty, probably because of my mathematics and business background.  Having access to complete, clean, and granular data provides a good basis for analysis that can feed into strategies, policies, and projects. My lecturer, Elise Kline, was very encouraging and supportive.  I also enjoyed working with my peers, especially my colleagues from work who were completing the course,” she said. 

“If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend the course (and I’m not getting paid/sponsored to say this).”   

Congratulations Karen on all of your hard work and determination. We’d love to see you back here for your Masters or PhD! In the meantime, we hope you enjoy riding your horse and make it back to Dressage competitions soon.  

If you’d like to learn more about how Crawford can accommodate your specific requirements through online study, visit the website.