“I was so sure I
wanted to be a
physio. Until I wasn’t.”
wanted to be a
physio. Until I wasn’t.”
Jacob left uni,
but that was only the start.
Jacob had always loved sports, and his parents loved the idea of having a kind of ‘doctor’ in the family. So becoming a physio seemed like the perfect choice. But once he started studying, the reality sunk in that physiotherapy wasn’t for him, and he left uni completely. “I was definitely at a crossroads. I wasn’t sure if that was the right decision at the time, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to continue if I stayed.”
After working in retail, he did a gap year in Japan and tried a bunch of jobs. He was a basketball coach, a swimming coach, even a go-kart tour guide. And while none of them were his calling, he did find a new passion while immersed in the chaotic streets of Tokyo.
“Japan was an incredible experience. I found my passion for design while I was in Tokyo. Looking at all these different spaces and people, there was so much inspiration around me.”
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Temple in the sky with a great bunchHe decided to return to uni and UTS was the dream choice. While UTS College was his way in, it quickly proved to be much more than a doorway to his future degree.
“I was definitely scared. I’m a little bit older than the usual student at UTS College. I thought there might be a bit of a disconnect in terms of being able to make friends, but I quickly got over that. I just realised everyone has the same goals.”
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Student Representative Group panel team - you'd think we'd done this before
Jacob’s aspirations grew. He found the way UTS College catered to each student helped him take steps towards his goals. Having all his classes in the same building meant his friendship circle grew quickly, and so did his extracurricular opportunities. When he saw a chance to do more, give back, and lead, he joined the student representative group, mentored, and became a member of the academic board.
But his proudest achievement was starting Visionary Society, a creative society for anyone in the creative scene, from videographers to actors, models, makeup artists and everything in between. It took 30 expressions of interest (signatures) for it to qualify as an official UTS society. They got 100 in two days. He’d struck a chord, but his passion is what made the society appealing to so many.
Starting my own society
The start of many! Who wants to be a visionary?
“When I created this society, I definitely think I found my people. Like-minded and having the same motivations, they made it so easy to push to be the best version of myself.”
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Working on a pizza cutter prototype - Who decided hand size should be different??Jacob found his passion in Japan, but his year at UTS College is where he started living it. That was the year he found a new direction and brought together a network of creatives. The year that made him find his people.
Jacob's Takeaways
Jacob found a new passion and direction on a gap year and UTS College gave him the re-entry point to pursue it.