Jarrod Grabham
The quality of teaching is unmatched and it’s a smaller University offering more access to staff and opportunities.
Jarrod had modest expectations about ANU before arriving. The longer he stayed and the more he experienced, the more he realised how great it is.
Word of mouth, and ANU’s location close to his home in regional New South Wales, convinced Jarrod ANU was the right choice. Knowing people who had studied here before and spoke well of their experiences, he discovered for himself “the quality of teaching is unmatched and it’s a smaller University offering more access to staff and opportunities.”
His experiences with ANU’s leading academics proved memorable. Hugh White, “the doyen of international relations” did much to inform Jarrod’s studies in international security studies. “To sit under his council and his wisdom is quite humbling. He wrote some of our defence papers.”
Learning Spanish, he recalls Dr Elisabeth Mayer, Director of the Australian National Centre for Latin American Studies, and a lecturer in among other things, Spanish language. “She was so passionate for the language of Spanish, and personally took all the grammar classes, organising Latin American parties. Her passion went beyond mere teaching, wanting to engage with cultures.”
Initially studying International Relations, Jarrod realised it was more the practical than theoretical that drew his interest, hence a transition to security studies. Studying a Major of History, Jarrod came to appreciate the important of combining an understanding of the past, with a study of the contemporary and future security challenges the world faces.
“I think I would be lost if I didn’t have the history. In every single class in security studies, it came back to having a good grasp of history.”
Along his journey at ANU studying a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of International Security Studies, Jarrod enjoyed some wonderful experiences that took him to the United States and Ireland.
In 2016 Jarrod studied on exchange at George Washington University, earning the GW Incoming Students Scholarship. While there he felt fortunate to meet political leaders and diplomats, including Australia’s ambassador to the United States. It was an opportunity made possible by ANU Global Programs. “If you work hard and keep GPA up, you can go over there despite the highly competitive process. I highly recommend people take these opportunities early in their degree and understand requirements.”
With one global experience under his belt, Jarrod was fortunate to pursue another. While his study in America informed his understanding of security studies, a journey abroad to study at Trinity College, home to an acclaimed history collection, informed his studies in that subject. The highlight of his time at Trinity however was not found in the archives, but in the sound of song, where he performed with Trinity’s Choral Choir and obtained a choir scholarship.
Jarrod future ambitions are to make a contribution to the big issues globally involving the movement of people, and key regional issue, namely the relationship between Australia and China. Now pursuing a Masters interstate, Jarrod hopes to enter the United Nations Young Professional Program.
