Kate’s family at Uluru

What led you to doing your double degree? 

Kate decided to respond to a desire for learning that had been gnawing at her for some time. As well as a brief stint running her own catering business, she had spent two decades in the corporate, not-for-profit and consulting worlds. “My interest in criminology was fuelled by a desire to better understand the intersection between people and the law. There is very much a human rights element to that, in that I am most interested in the times that society has not got the balance right and, most importantly, what can be done to improve it.”

Why did you choose UNE Law? 

Kate is now in her third year of a law and criminology double degree. UNE’s online platform, its reputation for high quality distance learning and its bonus summer trimester were the factors that helped her decide which university to choose.

What do you plan to do with your degree once you have graduated? 

Kate is unsure of where her law and criminology degrees will take her but is confident the direction will become apparent in time. “Law equips you with finely honed analytical skills which have much broader application than simply practising law. I am a few years away from needing to finalise my next steps but feel confident a clear plan will crystallise. In the meantime, I am simply enjoying the study journey.”  

You have your own blog page called ‘Cooking for the Cluster – MCAS, hEDS, POTS’. Can you tell us how that came about and what its aim is? 

As Kate was finalising her second year, health became an issue. Kate was diagnosed with having Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).

“I was so very thankful to be studying under Patrick Graham when things got a bit tricky,” Kate explained. “My studies were suffering because of my health and if it was not for the support of Patrick and UNE, things could have been much worse. Ironically, the unit I was studying at the time, ‘Law and Crisis: The Use of Emergency Powers’, was my favourite unit to date and I actually think that helped me get over the line. My path back to full health will be a marathon rather than a sprint and so 2020 has seen a huge reduction in my study load which is working very well so far.”  

Kate is still an avid Cook but her focus in that arena has also shifted. For nine years, she was working on a ‘Julie and Julia’ style cooking challenge (which you can find at  cookscompanionchallenge.blogspot.com ) and was almost 700 recipes in. The aim of the challenge is to make every recipe in the book! Kate based her personal challenge on Stephanie Alexander’s The Cook’s Companion, due to its recipes being broad enough to cover most occasions. Her goal began at 653 recipes, but she had to increase it to 1038 once the third edition was released!

Strawberry skewer with handmade marshmallow

A new restrictive diet has meant putting a pause on that challenge for a while. “I tried to cook and have the family taste foods for me, but my heart was no longer in it.” A cathartic alternative to the challenge has been Kate’s new food blog cookingforthecluster.blogspot.com which is a practical guide to navigating the restricted food list Kate now follows. “I was determined to find flavour in every hidden corner of the list. The blog has helped to maintain my sanity and also allows me to connect with others travelling a similar path.”

Thank you Kate for sharing your story!