Community
17 March, 2025
Keeping it in the family
WHEN Olivia, Caitlin and Marcus Luxford of Tully were contemplating their career paths – mum Annette was front of mind.
“Ever since a young age, becoming a teacher has always been a career I had thought about pursuing,” CQUniversity Bachelor of Education (secondary) with distinction alumnus Olivia Luxford said.
“Mum has probably been the biggest influencing factor in choosing education. Watching her raise five kids as a single mother while teaching full-time has been nothing short of an inspiration,” she said.
“Although we witnessed the amount of work she takes home, the extracurricular hours involved, and at times other challenges, nothing could scare us off the profession.
“Growing up it was very evident that she made a lasting positive impact on her students and this was something I desired to replicate.”
Olivia, 25, is the eldest of the three siblings and said her family had faced a lot of childhood adversity with the death of their sister and father.
“Many children live with all sorts of hardships every day. My biggest reason for wanting to become a teacher is so that I can be a safe adult in my students’ life, who is always there to listen, support their wellbeing, guide and help develop their resilience so that they can overcome adversity.
“I’ve always wanted a rewarding job that can make a positive impact in people’s lives and I have found that in teaching.”
Growing up in the small town of Tully in North Queensland, the Luxford siblings always knew the importance of community, family and education.
Raised in a household where teaching was, not just a profession but a passion, it’s no surprise that all three have ended up following in the footsteps of their mother, choosing to dedicate their lives to shaping young minds.
Caitlin, 21, is the middle of the three siblings and her journey into teaching wasn’t immediate. After initially pursuing a degree in physiotherapy, she quickly realised that her heart was somewhere else.
So, encouraged by her mum and also her sister Olivia’s positive experience at CQUniversity, Caitlin transferred into CQU’s Bachelor of Education (primary), eager to inspire young learners.
Marcus, 18, is the youngest of the three and, although he initially pursued a school-based apprenticeship in plumbing, he too soon realised that his true passion was elsewhere.
Encouraged by Caitlin and Olivia’s experiences, future student Marcus decided to pursue secondary education, with aspirations of teaching manual arts and biology or mathematics.
To achieve his ambition to become a teacher, Marcus has enrolled in CQUniversity’s Skills for Tertiary Education Preparatory Studies (STEPS) program, which will allow him to transition into a Bachelor of Education.
“I have to do the STEPS program because I dropped one of my ATAR subjects (chemistry) in the second semester of year 11 when I started my school-based apprentice in plumbing,” Marcus said.
“I am looking forward to starting STEPS as it means I will be able to start my degree in July.”
All three are now well and truly on their pathways to education, with Olivia already teaching, Caitlin soon-to-be teaching and Marcus a few years away from becoming a teacher. This year Olivia is teaching years 7, 8 and 10 science, year 10 HPE and year 11 and 12 biology at Good Counsel College in Innisfail.
