Roslyn has student wellbeing at the heart of her career
By Greg Chapman
Education alumnus Roslyn Black has come a long way since graduating in 2000, not only as a teacher and guidance counsellor, but through vital research to help students transition from high to secondary school.
Roslyn’s many years’ experience as a teacher, and now as a Guidance Counsellor at Heights College Rockhampton had their beginnings at CQUniversity when she realised education was her calling.
“I had considered becoming a teacher when I was younger and I was interested in people and how they think and behave. At the time I was selecting my preferences, courses such as psychology weren't available at CQU, which led me to Education,” she said.
Roslyn said CQU’s Bachelor of Education, which she completed with Distinction, gave her a strong foundation for her later career. After graduating, she worked as a teacher in several public and private schools – and in senior inclusion and support roles, with her passion ultimately drawing her towards counselling.
“What I value most about my role is the opportunity to work alongside young people and hopefully make a positive difference. My heart is really in wellbeing. I value helping students feel understood and connected, recognise their strengths and develop confidence in themselves and their future,” she said.
Her interests in the different stages of a young person’s education, led her to take up post-graduate study, which included a Master of Education in Guidance and Counselling, which she also graduated with Distinction.
This led to her having her first research article – ‘Bridging the Gap: A Guidance Counsellor's Role in Supporting Student Wellbeing During the Transition to Secondary School’, being published in the Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools.
“In simple terms, the research looks at what can help students navigate this transition and the role guidance counsellors can play. The findings highlighted the value of structured transition practices and whole-school collaboration,” she said.
“The research also showed the importance of guidance counsellor involvement being proactive and extending across the transition from Year 6 into Year 7, rather than being limited to a short orientation period.
“It is my first academic journal publication, and I was proud to be the first author and researcher of the study and published in a Q1 international journal. It was also particularly rewarding to contribute to research in an area that is closely connected to my work with young people.”
She said for her, education has always been about more than academic achievement.
“It is about connection, belonging and helping young people recognise their strengths and develop confidence in themselves and their future,” she said.
“Looking back over more than two decades in education, I value the opportunity to work with young people at different points in their education, helping them feel heard, valued and supported. While my roles have changed, my focus on the wellbeing of young people has remained consistent.
“I also think about my own career when I work with students. Pathways do not always unfold in the way we expect, and sometimes opportunities and interests lead us in directions we could not have predicted at the beginning. I think that is an important message for young people as they consider their own futures.
“I have valued the journey my career in education has taken me on. What began with a Bachelor of Education has developed into a career across teaching, inclusion, guidance and counselling, and more recently research.
“I have learned that you never really stop learning in education. For me, the common thread throughout my career has always been wellbeing, helping young people feel connected, supported and confident in who they are and where they are heading.”
