Hale Adasal | PACE International Program Officer
How long have you been at Macquarie?
Almost two years.
What is your favourite thing about working at Macquarie?
Progressive University initiatives, and the campus surrounds.
Where is your favourite place to spend a spare five minutes at Macquarie?
By the lake, watching the ducks and meditating for a couple of minutes, or for as long as possible.
How do you get to campus?
I commute by train, five days a week from Gosford. Yes I know it’s so far away but I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
What was your earliest childhood career aspiration?
I wanted to be a scientist, and a teacher.
If you weren’t a PACE Program Officer, what would you do?
I would be teaching Big History to high school students. But working with PACE I am able to combine my passions with my skills so I won’t be going anywhere in a hurry.
What are the biggest misconceptions about your profession?
I’m often asked if I’m a lecturer.
In your job, what question are you most often asked?
Students ask if they can participate in an international internship with a new partner with whom they have initiated a relationship outside our current partnerships.
What would you want to learn if given the chance to learn it instantly?
How to spontaneously combust at meetings.
Favourite film, book or TV show?
The ABC’s Q & A. It’s informative, allowing differing opinions to argue the reasons behind their views about relevant issues of the day. There needs to be more of it!
What is the one piece of technology you can’t live without?
I can live without technology, but I do rely on my mobile. It acts as a GPS, an alarm, and I can be instantly updated via emails and PACE Facebook pages by students when they are on international placement.
Something not many people may know about me is…
I have just embarked on the process to become a foster carer. I will be providing respite care to young people one weekend a month. This gives full time foster carers a break and allows the young person to spend a weekend with their ‘aunt’, which would be me!
If money were no object what you like to achieve?
Human rights and environmental justice. I would be able to commit full time, active engagement with community groups and individuals alike, raising issues and ways in which people have the power to make change – if we wait for everyone else to change the world then nothing will happen.
What were you doing before you started these questions?
I was reviewing our current overseas risk assessment processes and developing business processes to manage our new unit PACE 360. The ASQC committee resolved to create an interdisciplinary academic unit PACE360 available in winter and summer vacation 2015. This unit is the first undergraduate unit to be administered centrally by the PACE Hub, a requirement for students undertaking any international PACE activity that does not fit within the scope of discipline specific units currently offering a PACE international experience.
Read more about the PACE 360 unit and PACE international activities.