Name: Tristan Williams
Age: 24
Dreams of: Being a social media account manager
5 December
It is a crazy time we live in …
My name is Tristan Williams. I live in a small apartment in Mitchelton, a suburb not too far from the Brisbane CBD, with my best mate.
I am the first person in my family to attend university. I’m studying a master’s in digital communications. My brothers and sisters have all pursued careers that make their lives fulfilling. They are into the labouring side of work but I am just not that way inclined. Academia is where I have found my home. I believe I will always be a student in some capacity.
I am very proud of how far I have come. Growing up was not the easiest experience for me. I grew up in quite a large family – a family of seven. Living below the poverty line for most of my upbringing brought with it challenges but also learning. When you grow up in a low socioeconomic household you learn the art of budgeting and stretching that dollar. You learn how to be more resourceful with what you have. You learn to value what you have a lot more. Without that history, I would not have learnt these important life lessons.
Before coronavirus hit, I was very aspirational. I had just closed my small social media marketing and consulting business to study my master’s. I thought I could take on the world. I was so excited. I wanted to go into research. This was an opportunity to hopefully make a difference. Studying a postgraduate degree was my pathway into this. I will spend half of next year dedicated to a research project into how queer students have communicated during coronavirus. My business wasn’t anything major but it had been successful enough for me to live comfortably. So to walk away from that into casual work alongside full-time study was a big ask, and I was not prepared for the pay cut. But I was very excited. It was something I have always wanted to do.
Coronavirus changed this first year of post-grad, which I had given so much up for. Classes which I would normally have attended physically, which is an environment I learn better in, have been forced 100% online. It has hindered my capacity to learn the coursework but, on the positive side, it meant I developed skills in learning remotely. Many of my peers have it worse. Many of them had to return home due to no longer being able to receive support from the government or their families. Others haven’t been able to return home to see their families at all. For the first time in my life, I think that I have it easy in comparison.
When you add the financial challenge of coronavirus on top of the pay cut I’d voluntarily chosen to study more, I was in a bit of strife. My casual work was for the university, talking to high school students to encourage them to consider further education, and that work has severely decreased due to limited capacities. This has ultimately led me to Centrelink and the full coronavirus jobkeeper rate.
Dancing was and still is a core component of who I am. Dancing is what separates me from the stressors of normal life because when I’m up there on stage, I have a job to do. That’s something I miss. The sudden halt in social gatherings and performances as a result of coronavirus put a massive strain on both my mental and physical wellbeing. I was only a freelancer, with the occasional gig or two, but those were my bread and butter, and now the life and times of coronavirus have strained me financially in the dancing department too. Due to being a freelancer, accessing financial assistance for this part of my income was impossible. There was no government financial support available when this work disappeared.
When I dream about the future, I see many paths in front of me. I am weighing up a career in academia as I love to teach and support others while also learning myself. Or maybe I should travel the country and the world, exploring the world of work and experiencing another life. Or perhaps even a mix of the two.
But there are many fears on the horizon. It is a crazy time we live in. I am excited for what my future may hold. But I am also concerned about how coronavirus has damaged the trajectory and wellbeing – both physically and mentally – for me and other young people.
