Jerry Schweitzer wanted to help preserve the memories of nature and the animals in it – just like the memories of his childhood on his parents' boat.
"I think that it has been the best decision I have made," says Jeremia (Jerry) Schweitzer.
"Tough moments, sure. But life is never straight-forward anyway."
Jerry is understandably upbeat about his future.
Now a university student, he gets to study and work at the same place – as a mentor for bridging course students like he once was, and as an Ambassador for a School of Science.
Of his future career he says, "I now see doors I can open, that I never even knew existed before."
Study will do that, whatever your age.
A beginning full of escapes
Jerry grew up in the Netherlands, where he would often travel on a boat his family built from scratch, exploring all kinds of places.
His fondest memories of childhood are on that boat.
Along with going on explorative adventures with his dog (from forests to beaches).
Being a naturally creative person, he also loved to escape the stresses of life by writing his own novels that he describes as 'high/dark fantasy to sci-fi'.
Conservation Biology student Jerry Schweitzer at Edith Cowan University's Joondalup Campus.
Setting sail on a new direction
After leaving school, Jerry worked for a multi-million-dollar company that dealt primarily in videogames.
The money was fine, but even with that increasing, he wasn't passionate about anything he was doing.
It was an unhealthy work-life balance, and it made him miserable.
Then came the call of the wild again.
He always had an appreciation for the beauty of nature and a love for animals.
And he wanted to work with animals in some capacity, but not as a vet.
"I wanted to help preserve the memories of nature and the animals in it – just like the memories of my childhood back on the boat," he says.
He asked himself, 'What am I passionate about? How can I get there? What will it look like? Is it realistic?'
After some extensive research into university options, Jerry found himself – literally and metaphorically – in Perth in Western Australia.
He enrolled in a Bachelor of Science degree at Edith Cowan University, majoring in Conservation Biology.
He was back in the boat.
Weathering an early storm
Jerry says he turned his life upside down to come back and study as a mature aged student.
He says it's always scary to leave a way of life that has kept you comfortable for so long.
"Right now, it is a challenge, and I will consider it an achievement once I've successfully completed this degree and make my mark.
"I also thought 'sheesh, I will be THAT old when I finish', but I had spoken with people older than me who had done the same and never regretted a moment," says Jerry.
Coming back to study has been challenging.
He soon realised that managing study time, outside of campus, is something all people returning to uni should not underestimate.
"If you've been gone from school for a long time, and thinking university is like you remember your school days (only for adults), then you are mistaken," he says.
"You need to find adequate time to absorb what you're learning."
Jerry says it is hard to appreciate those first-year units, until you realise how everything comes together in the final year.
"To finish the puzzle that is your degree, you need all the pieces to fit."
