After Liam Rogers blazed the family trail to Trinity College in 2019, it wasn’t a forgone conclusion that his sister Charlotte would follow. But the siblings are glad she did.
From the outset, Liam Rogers knew he wanted to leave his Hobart home for uni life. ‘Melbourne seemed to be the perfect option,’ he says. ‘I came up for Open Day at Melbourne University and went around to all the colleges. Trinity was the one that excited me most. I fell in love with the grounds and buildings and it just seemed like a really cool place to live.’
Two years later, when his sister Charlotte was deciding where to study, she naturally considered Trinity, but also brainstormed other options outside Australia. ‘However, knowing how well Australia managed COVID-19, I decided it was best to stay in the country. And if I was going to pursue an Australian college, I definitely wanted it to be Trinity – I’d seen how much fun Liam was having.’
For the siblings, Trinity was the perfect transition from school. ‘The Friends’ School motto Nemo Sibi Nascitur translates to ‘no one is born for self alone’ and the same can be said for life at Trinity,’ says Charlotte. ‘There’s an excellent sense of community spirit [at college], which is the type of environment I thrive in. Because most of my course is online, uni could be quite isolating if I didn’t have the support of the Trinity community.’
Liam agrees. ‘It’s really nice to be able to get to know so many people in a different way to how you can at a school. When you’re at school there are sometimes social barriers when people are in different year levels, but at college there’s none of that. Everyone is so open and friendly and I love that,’ says Liam.
With Liam in his third year at the college and Charlotte in her first, they’re making the most of their time together.
‘We’re pretty close,’ Charlotte says. ‘I missed Liam when he went away and sometimes when things are full on it’s great to have a little bit of home right here with me.’
‘It’s really nice to have Charlotte here,’ Liam says. ‘For two years I’ve been the only person in my family who understood what I was talking about. But now she’s experiencing it too.’
They both also feel the move to Melbourne is helping them academically. Although Liam isn’t exactly sure where his course in data science will take him, he knows he’s discovered his calling. ‘When I first came to uni, I’d never done any sort of programming, but I tried one subject in first year and it captivated me.’
In Charlotte’s early days at uni, she’s keeping an open mind as to her career direction.
‘It wouldn’t surprise me if I ended up being an English or history teacher. There’s a lot of value in a really good teacher and I’d strive to be one. At Friends’ I was influenced by many standout teachers, particularly in the drama and music department.’
Charlotte’s love of music has continued at Trinity through the college choir, and she’s also come to value the small, everyday interactions that college life brings. ‘Things like unexpected evenings when you end up sitting in someone’s room having a philosophical or political discussion until 2am, or suddenly seeing a new face I haven’t met before and feeling comfortable enough to strike up a conversation. It makes me realise how many people there are here to make connections with.’
