Michaela Meade
Hannah Gandy has transformed from a teenager who was disengaged at school, to a double degree university graduate.
This week, Hannah graduated with a bachelor of laws and a bachelor of arts from La Trobe University in Bundoora.
She said a challenging childhood meant she never imagined herself at university.
“I had a difficult childhood, and the result of that was that I was quite disengaged from school as a young teenager,” Hannah said.
“During primary school, I was super engaged, I loved learning, I loved school.
“When I got to high school, it started to change.
“I became less interested … disengaged, and ended up at a school for students who don’t have anywhere else to go.”
Hannah attended the Pavilion School – a state school for students who have been disengaged from, or been excluded by, schools or education providers, which has campuses in Epping, Mill Park and Preston.
Hannah said hearing the stories of her peers made her reflect on her own experiences.
“They were stories of homelessness, addiction, abuse, being involved in the criminal system, poverty, disabilities, discrimination,” she said.
“Hearing [their] stories … made me feel very lucky to then be at a school that would support me to get through education.
“I became the first student to graduate [with] my Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) and get an ATAR to enter university.”
Hannah was supported by the school and Distance Education Centre Victoria to complete her VCE studies.
Hannah was also involved in the VCE Plus program, which recognises high achieving year 11 students and, in year 12, allows them to study university subjects.
She studied two first year law subjects, and said that being surrounded by first year students helped her realise that she could go to university.
Hannah said she was involved in a lot of different programs throughout her time at university, including at the Excellence Academy, completing research into flexible learning schools in the northern suburbs.
She also worked for the Schools Partnerships Program for four years, helping introduce young people from disadvantaged and low socioeconomic status schools to university.
Hannah was also a part of the La Trobe Elite Athlete Program.
She was a finalist for the 2021 Victorian Rhodes Scholarship, and most recently was the recipient of the 2022 John Monash Scholarship.
The John Monash scholarship will support her to study in London next year, where she will undertake a master of law, specialising in law and social justice at University College London.
Hannah said in the future, she wants to combine law and her experience in youth work to help support young people.
“I think the legal system can often operate unfairly towards young people, and that young people aren’t often considered when laws are made that impact them,” she said.
“I don’t exactly know what my career will be, but I know that I definitely want to be in roles where I’m helping young people.
“Standing up for their rights, and helping to reduce disadvantage and enabling access to services, and access to justice.
“The reason I want to help young people with the law is because of those experiences that I had as a young person and at the Pavilion School where I worked alongside students who were treated unfairly, and who [the school] helped to support.
“I want to support students like that, within the law.”
