By Ruby Wolfe

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This week I sat down with Claudia Rodda to understand what her journey through King’s College has been like since the beginning. Growing up in Adelaide, Claudia came to King’s during its second year of co-residency and instantly clicked in the community. From fresher to third year, Claudia is finishing as a member of the King’s College Student Club executive and is expected to graduate with a Bachelor of Paramedicine and Nursing from ACU in 2024.

Claudia made the long journey from Adelaide to King’s College, one of the few places in Australia offering her desired double degree in nursing and paramedicine. Despite knowing only one person, she immediately enrolled at King’s without any hesitation.

In her fresher year, co-residency was only in its second year, with the ratio of boy and girl residents at respectively 70% and 30%. There were many people, like Claudia, who did not know what to expect coming into the college environment. She learnt to quickly adapt to the environment and make an active effort to build relationships with people she met. Being the only girl from Adelaide, Claudia forced herself to get to know people whom she otherwise would never have met if it weren’t moved to Brisbane.

The second year of King’s was different, with an established routine at university and college, everything was easier. The worries of not knowing the ins and outs of Brisbane were eased. She joined the King’s in Pink Committee, the King’s College Breast Cancer Charity, which taught her great organisational and event planning skills.

In her final semester today, the connection Claudia had built with this place has left her feeling sad to come to an end. The journey she has been on has allowed her to put herself out there, be involved in events, and play nine sports a year – something quite unique.

Through College, Claudia looked up to Olivia Ridley and Alex Latham as past Female Sports Ministers. She loved the planning and being involved in the organisation of sport and saw this position as something to thrive for.

Looking towards the future, Claudia is excited to have her own space and independence after living with over 400 people for the past three years. Though it will be a significant adjustment, she anticipates the experiences and successes the rest of the semester will bring for women's sports and at King's College.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE