Her career started with a glass of water

Nikki Bogosavac (Journalism and Communications, 2023) was sitting in a lecture one day when her lecturer, Dr Susan Grantham, suddenly had an unexpected coughing fit. Nikki’s fellow students sat frozen, not quite knowing what to do. So Nikki quietly left the room and returned with a glass of water for her teacher – beginning a relationship of mutual trust and respect.

“I just likened it to when someone's trying to run a meeting, they're going through their agenda, and they don’t want to stop and leave that space.” says Nikki. “But my first impression of Susan was that she was very approachable and confident in who she was. That’s reassuring as a student. It gives you confidence that you can put your trust in that person.”

The feeling was – and still is – mutual. “I observed someone who was so caring and comfortable to come forward and help someone, even though I was their teacher,” Susan says. “In that moment, I knew she had a big future ahead of her.”

From lecture to launchpad

Susan is known for going above and beyond for her students. Having spent almost two decades in government communications, including roles in the Queensland Police Service and the Department of Justice, she knows what it takes to thrive in the industry. And she makes it her mission to pass that knowledge on.

“She knew that I wanted to jump into industry straight away, especially given that I was a slightly older student,” says Nikki, who had already worked in the professional services sector for a decade before enrolling at Griffith.

“I wanted to hit the ground running and get into the comms and PR space. Susan was very supportive. She sat with me, both online and in person, and we would go through applications, looking at the criteria, amending my cover letters, looking at how my resume was set out, and making sure I was presenting myself at my best to industry, and to a potential employer.”

For Nikki, that support proved invaluable. Although she already had professional experience, the process of applying for roles in an entirely new field was daunting. The pair met regularly to discuss career options: Susan encouraged her to apply for all kinds of jobs and became Nikki’s mentor. And that led to Nikki landing her dream role before she even graduated: communications officer at Sport Integrity ɫ��վ in Canberra, where she still works today.

Pathways to success

Nikki’s success inspired Susan to further embed real-world job application skills into the course, giving every student an even better chance to succeed. Now, every student in her industry internship course completes a job application as an assessment, ensuring that they leave university not just with a degree, but with practical experience of the job market that sets them up for success. “It’s such a simple but important thing,” Susan says. “The point of going to university is to get a job. So whatever I can do to help them get a job is what I’m going to do.”

And Nikki is proof of that. “Susan put a lot of time, care, energy and effort into me,” she says. “She cared about me getting gainful employment just as much, if not more, sometimes, than I did. It was clearly a priority for her to see her students taken care of, professionally. As a student, you know that there are people who have connections and experience who are willing to share that with you if you meet them halfway and give them your time. That’s exactly the relationship I have with Susan.”

A mentor for life

Even now, long after Nikki has settled into her federal government role in Canberra, her connection with Susan remains strong. They stay in touch regularly, sometimes through professional discussions, sometimes through reels and memes. “You’ve got to keep up with what’s happening on the internet!” says Nikki.

“Obviously, not every student becomes a friend, but there are some really special students out there, and Nikki is one of them,” Susan says. “But every student who comes through my courses knows they can reach out for help. That’s important to me.”

For Nikki, that support made all the difference. And for Griffith students today, it’s a reminder that education isn’t just about what you learn – it’s about the connections you make along the way.

“Susan was my champion the whole way through,” Nikki says. “She was so supportive and advocated for me. And I still know that I could call on her at any time, day or night. I have her number.”

ɫ��վ