Mariane Johnstone
"I could get a unique insight into two different disciplines that are becoming increasingly intertwined, and hopefully position myself well for the future of work in sustainability.”
Tuckwell Scholarship recipient, Mariane Johnstone is studying a Flexible Double Degree; a Bachelor of Environment and Sustainability and a Bachelor of International Relations.
She is very involved in Campus life, working as a Senior Resident at Fenner Hall and Student Ambassador for the College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS). She is also the current Co-Director of ANU Women in STEM Leadership Conference and works at the Centre for Entrepreneurial Agri-Technology (CEAT), a joint initiative between the ANU and CSIRO.
After moving to Canberra from Adelaide three years ago, she immediately, “fell in love with campus life”.
“My degree has helped me find my passion: food security and sustainable food systems.”
Mariane chose to pursue her studies at ANU, “to combine the two degrees. It meant that I could get a unique insight into two different disciplines that are becoming increasingly intertwined, and hopefully position myself well for the future of work in sustainability.”
Her favourite course to study at ANU was International Political Economy (IPE). However, admits “The word ‘economy’ scared me, but the course was taught well and was much less daunting than it seemed, and honestly really interesting! I particularly enjoyed deep-diving into the IPE of Cadbury Dairy Milk as a major assignment – so much nuance and buried history, as well as insight into the world of trade that no one sees - and therefore, no one thinks about.”
And it’s the diversity of Ngunnawal country that Mariane loves.
“I’m shoulder-to-shoulder with fascinating, wonderfully smart people, in a city one moment, and 10 minutes away, I can feel like I’m in the middle of the countryside, staring out at a mountain range. It’s beautiful and special, this bush Capital.”
Mariane advises prospective students to, “Embrace the fact that you won’t remember every term, every date, or understand every reading. It’s practice, repetition, and repeated exposure that gets you to the point where you can look back and realise that despite the challenges that each week brings, you ARE learning and growing.”
