Indigo Interview: Creating space for people to grow

Karina Kerr was born in Wagga Wagga and moved around a lot in her younger years due to family circumstances. She moved to Wodonga in 2000 where she lived with her husband until the kids left home. Looking for a quieter life in small community town, the couple shifted to the perfect place of Wahgunyah. What do you do workwise? My work life is diverse. I have a consultancy business working with small businesses with Human Resources (HR) support and business development. I am passionate about hospitality and work with a local restaurant D’Amicos on setting up systems and HR process that will support the development of staff and the business. I am also a therapist working with Phoenix Wings Wellness and have worked in mental health over my career. I also work in Higher Education with Charles Sturt University encouraging continuation of learning to increase our workforce capacity across a range of industry in regional areas. Higher education is possible for everyone, included people like me being dyslexic. You are never too old to go to uni or change your career. What brought you to your role/career? Over my career I have worked in homelessness, family violence, family dispute resolution, mental health with young people, and now higher education. My career choices have been driven by my values to make a difference in what can be very difficulty life. As a young person I experienced homelessness, family violence and exposure to mental health, all of which has driven a deep passion to understand the world. My career advanced into leadership roles where I came to respect the amazing workforce we have, that strives to deliver high quality services under pressure of system, resources, and general life pressure, leading to an interest in HR and wanting to build sustainable workforces. What do you love about your work? As a therapist it is the bravery of people who are invested in wanting to be a better self, wanting to face the challenges and trauma experienced, rising as a stronger and more comfortable self. All my roles link back to wanting to create space for people to grow, this could be at work, or through education or self awareness. We all have something unique to offer the world and we are all interconnected in some way so why not make that connection as positive as possible. What do you do in the community? The Kerferd Oration in Beechworth was a special opportunity to volunteer in a community conversation that leads to thought provoking change. I am an advocate where possible to raise awareness of anything that links back to improving mental health outcomes, reducing suicide, and growing young people into themselves as adults without creating harm along the way. Opportunities like the Kerferd Oration encourages changes in thinking or just thinking in general. It means that we have to stop and consider what is happening in the world and how we can contribute to make a difference. Is there an important community issue that you think needs addressing? Mental health and access to mental health treatment. What would you do to solve change or improve that situation? We service our cars, so they are safe, we fuel our bodies with food to keep them going, working on your mental health is equally important to fuel your brain. Encourage a change in thinking to elevate the importance of mental health. What do you see as one of the most important current world issues? War. Why are humans still killing humans and why is this an acceptable way to resolve conflict. No one has the right to take another human’s life. If the person you would most like to meet or knew, came to Indigo Shire or was already here, who would that be, what would you show them, and why? That would be Bon Jovi. His music helped me through a difficult childhood, and I would show my appreciation by touring all our beautiful wineries and the great Murray River. We live in the most beautiful part of the world. What book are you reading? ‘Doom and Gloom’ by Campbell Walker

Indigo Interview: Creating space for people to grow

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