Connected Conversations | Laura McNamara

Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Laura McNamara and I work in the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences’ Admissions team as a Student Operations Officer. My role involves the logistical planning for the international and domestic admissions interviews. My role also involves:

• Reviewing Doctor of Clinical Dentistry applications
• Processing honours applicants
• Processing ad-hoc non-awards
• Provide executive support to the Faculty Admissions Committee

I am known to be a bubbly and enthusiastic team player who loves to learn new ways to improve work practices. I have an interest in lifelong learning and I incorporate this into my work. You’ll often see me making origami (it’s my addiction), as I find it helps with mindfulness and problem-solving.

An recent achievement I’ve seen within my role so far was having to change how we delivered the international and domestic admission interview formats during my first year in the role in 2020. While trying to learn my role, I was logistically planning how to deliver the interviews in a format which abides by COVID-19 restrictions.  During this time, I was extremely thankful to have my manager, Aleksandra Payne, to support me through. Together, we problem-solved all the logistical hurdles and successfully delivered the interviews for the 2021 student intake.

Tell us a bit about your time at the University.

I have worked at the University of Adelaide for 18 years now. I started in the library. I have a lifelong love for literature, history, and the arts. Working in the library allowed me to experience an atmosphere where I was surrounded by these subjects on a daily basis. During my time in the library, I worked in lending services, memberships, acquisitions, cataloguing, and interlibrary loans. I also had secondments where I managed and trained teams.

My favourite part about working in the library was cataloguing. Each item has a bibliographic record and I love the organisation of the bibliographic details. The record could be in a different language but, due to the punctuation and section of the record, you can decipher the publication information, the title, author and etcetera. I love when complicated information is organised in a logical way. Yes, I am aware that I am a geek.

After 13 years in the library, I transferred into administration and worked in the Faculty of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences (ECMS) from 2016 to 2019. At the end of 2019, I was offered a short-term secondment in the Learning, Quality and Innovation team to assist with executive support for the Faculty Program Boards. During this time, I built rapport with others in this area and thoroughly enjoyed the positive atmosphere. I hoped for something more permanent due to not wanting to leave the positive University workplace. When my current position in the Admissions team became available, I applied for the role and I honestly can’t express how happy I was when I was informed that my application was successful. My current role is very complicated and my focus needs to be multifaceted to ensure no detail is missed, but I love the challenge and continuous improvement to my skillset. I feel blessed to be working with my team, as we all share respect, confidence, and trust in each other.

What has been your journey to get where you are today?

I have transferred careers from library to administration, and from administration to admissions. When I was working in the library, I reached a stage where I achieved everything I wanted and desired a greater challenge. I also wanted to work in an industry where there were more opportunities for movement and progression.

I chose the administration pathway because I had transferrable skills and I studied for a Diploma in Business Administration. I am happy I chose this pathway as it opened opportunities for career growth and an increase to my skillset. After a few years working in ECMS, I was ready for another challenge and my current role has provided this.

What do you love most about working at the University of Adelaide?

What I love most about working for the University of Adelaide is the ability to transfer careers and the opportunities for career progression. The best part of my job is the ability to network with academics and professional staff from other areas of the University. I enjoy building rapport with others.

I am also very thankful for the location of the University. I love being next to the Torrens, the Botanic Gardens and the Art Gallery. During my lunch breaks, I love to go for walks and be surrounded by the natural scenery. I always feel a sense of tranquillity and peace when in nature.

Where’s your favourite spot on campus?

My favourite spot on campus is the Barr Smith Library’s reading room. There are multiple reasons why. I love the architecture of the room, which was built in the late 1920s and opened in 1932. The reading room was the original library. Another reason why I love the reading room is because the Dewey Decimal System in the room is the 900s, which is the history section of the Dewey Decimal System. I have a lifelong obsession with historical studies and always love browsing the books in the reading room.

Have you ever had a life-changing experience?

I suppose you could say when I became an aunty, it was life-changing. I was always the ‘baby’ with my family, cousins, and friends. Up until adulthood, I was always the youngest. Everyone around me played the roles of mentors and protectors and it wasn’t until I became an aunty that the dynamics changed in regards to how I interacted with people.

When my brother and cousins had children, I proudly took on the aunty role. Being an aunty surprised me with how it changed the way I thought. It made me think of others and I realised that I’m extremely protective of the ones I care about. I always hope to teach them the wisdom which took me over thirty years to realise. I hope to do everything I can to be there for them as a confidant, a friend, and a family member they can rely on. I also became fascinated with how certain personality developments only occur when children reach a certain age, like self-reflection and empathy. I love every interaction I have with my nieces and their trust in me means the world.

What’s something most people don’t know about you?

On both sides of my family I have a close connection to the farming history of South Australia. On my fathers’ side (the Irish), the McNamaras helped settle Pekina in 1866 and my family still farms the original land they were given during settlement. In Pekina, there is a creek named McNamara Creek, after my family. Pekina is at the beginning of the Flinders Ranges and about 270km from Adelaide. To this day, if you walk into the Pekina Hotel and mention the McNamaras, all the locals know them well and speak warmly of them.

On my mum’s side of the family (the Scottish), the McLeans helped settle Strathalbyn in 1838 and were the first wheat growers in South Australia. The McLeans have been mentioned in various news articles and books that discuss the colonisation of South Australia, even in recent publications. Donald McLean was a typical Scottish gent who wasn’t scared to take risks, known for capturing a famous highway robber of the day, and loved his whisky. He also went against the tradition of the time by leaving his property and assets to his wife, instead of his sons, to ensure his wife’s security.

I understand that this isn’t specifically about me, but it is about my ancestors, whose stories I take great pride in and who I am honoured to be descended from.

What are your top café/restaurant recommendations around Adelaide?

This may take me a while, because I love my food!

• Community at Lot Fourteen does amazing almond lattes and are a must on the way into work.
• Thea Tea Shop in Gawler Place is amazing! Extremely healthy, fresh and good quality service. I recommend the basil nuggets.
• Maybe Mae is a quirky hidden bar, which plays retro music, has great cocktails, and cute booth seats.
• Everyone who knows me knows that the Crown & Anchor (the Cranker) is my favourite bar, because of the locals, the pinball machines, and the live music. Having a Pickleback shot is a right of passage at the Cranker.
• Midnight Spaghetti is above the Cranker and is a fine-dining experience. I strongly recommend everything on the menu.

What kind of difference would you like to make in the world?

I hope to make a difference to the world through kindness and lifelong improvement. I have witnessed behaviour which has made me promise myself to always treat others the way I would like to be treated. I am only human and not always perfect, but I truly care about doing better. I am blessed to know people who live their life with mindful kindness. Observing how they treat others helps me to self-reflect and understand how I can do better and be kinder.

Breaking the stigma around mental health and understanding the signs of suicide is a subject I’m pro-active in. I have learnt that people feel most suicidal when they are scared of being ostracised for not coping. I hope to encourage people to step out of their own headspace and for others to understand how to be supportive. One way I shine a light on the subject is by annually participating in the One Foot Forward fundraiser. I encourage others to donate to the course as I walk 100km each October for the Black Dog Institute, which provides free online support to those suffering from mental health.

I hope to one day transition into a career where I am more actively helping those in need, whether it be people with disabilities or mental health-related issues.