Lawrey Goodrick

Since graduation, my goal to improve the wellbeing of those around me, promote change and continue to improve understanding of the neurotypical versus neurodiverse world design has flourished. My psychological science degree has provided me with wit, wisdom and credibility supporting my pursuit as a highly imaginative unique children’s book author. I delve into and explore the biopsychosocial aspects of many issues, all in a unique lens of outrageous fun and adventure. I’m presently illustrating my next book ‘Half-life: The AA battery adventure’. It is set to launch late in the year through Hawkeye Publishing and focuses on the importance of STEM and psychology to understanding life and identity. I am aiming to have it included in the national school curriculum. It has already received three awards including a 5-star Readers’ Favourite review from the United States even though it is still months away from being officially published. 

I can’t thank CQU enough for their guidance, strengthening my ambitions through their values. I look forward to studying again, and I am leaning towards psych science honours as I have some ideas worth exploring.

Before CQU, my education was a dismal mess and I didn’t have a clear idea of what I wanted to do bar be creative. I started studying psychology for multiple reasons 1) to improve my education, 2) to enhance my writing skills. 3) improve my understanding of children in the foster care system as I am a foster carer with my wife and have observed over the years the identity confusion of children in the System, 4) to understand myself. It took 9 years to finish my psychological science degree and it was an immense struggle due to undiagnosed high-functioning autism and ADHD. Wow, did success come after that fog had cleared! 

My psychological science degree has advanced my skill and knowledge in research accuracy, built a strong foundation of ethics, guided and provided me with credibility when designing informative educational material with a witty creative twist, encouraged my pursuit in sciences, provided me with confidence in advancing to the avenues of future study, and provided me with fruitful possibilities in my creative endeavours. 

I found studying psychological science hard given the scope of absorbing text and theories with limited creative aspects but there was a unit where one assessment required students to construct four pages of a textbook. I was able to add entertaining, informative, satirical illustrated cartoons to the psychological dialogue. I utilised the same method illustrating my book ‘Half-life: The AA Battery Adventure’.