CQU graduate Helen Gallehawk is overjoyed her career path is enabling her to spend plenty of time outdoors as she dislikes being indoors for too long.

"My belief is that there is a spiritual link between people and the environment and that when the link is broken, environmental and social problems occur," she said.

Ms Gallehawk completed Year 10 Studies in Yeppoon and was initially disillusioned when told that girls could not be accepted into a Park Ranger course.

Her early employment included office administration and gardening and she started to take a keen interest in organic gardening and soils.

When her marriage ended she enrolled in the STEPS preparatory course at CQU and found that "each semester was a slow realisation that I was not as dumb as I thought I was".

Ms Gallehawk graduated with distinction and a GPA over 6 in the Bachelor of Science and set off to gain practical experience as an environmental officer.

"I did relief work at the Stanwell Power station working with their Environmental Management System (EMS).  From there I worked at the Cheetham Salt Fields at Bajool developing their EMS. These positions meant I had almost 3 hours travel for work each day - but the experiences have been invaluable," she said. 

"I spent a year with Natural Resources and Water as a vegetation management officer and my new role with Greening Australia as an environmental consultant continues my work with landholders and their Property Vegetation Management Plans and Property Maps of Assessable Vegetation and is expanded to include Regional Ecosystem Map Modifications, rehabilitation and native revegetation plans, vegetation offsets and energy audits.

"I will also be extending my knowledge of models used for the sampling of native timber for carbon calculations and the economic value of vegetation.  I am really looking forward to this work."

Ms Gallehawk has sole care of her 2 teenage children, 2 dogs and 1 cat and says that: "My children are my biggest achievement and I am so proud of them and am grateful I have such good people in our lives".

Despite her busy work and family life, Ms Gallehawk has also been a member of Landcare and the Sensible Development Group and helped Radio NAG with admin work.

"My hobbies include gardening, woodcarving and reading- although I haven't had too much time lately," she said.

Ms Gallehawk recently contacted staff at CQU to let them know about her latest career moves, adding:

"I dragged some of my Uni textbooks out to brush up a bit for some projects I am working on, and thought of my days at CQU and that you guys might like to know where I have ended up.

"Thank-you all for the support you gave me as a student and I know that this has contributed in me being able to get work that I find rewarding."