“I’ve been passionate about naturopathy since my children were small. When my son was six months’ old (he’s now 26), he had terrible gastric reflux,” Julie explained. “After trying different doctors, a friend insisted that I take him to a naturopath. It was a profound experience to see his turnaround, and the way the naturopath engaged with me was the most striking.”

Before she studied, Julie ran one of Australia’s top five residential thermal performance assessment companies and raised her children as a single mum. In 2011, she enquired about studying naturopathy at Endeavour, but it wasn’t the right time. Six years later, her son’s girlfriend enrolled at Endeavour. Julie took one look at her course and books and couldn’t help herself. She decided to enrol.

“By then, the challenges of money and time were gone. When I spoke with Endeavour and visited, everyone was friendly, and there was a good vibe about the campus,” Julie said. “It’s been that way all the way all through my studies. And, if I’ve ever had an issue, it’s been resolved.”

“I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I enrolled in naturopathy. I didn’t study at school, so I had to learn how to study, adapt to a digital learning environment and learn the course content. But the lecturers are all brilliant in their field, and they give so much extra.”

Julie started studying part-time because she was still working 35 hours a week. Gradually, she took on more subjects. “I also had tendinitis in my right arm, and taking notes by hand was painful, so I learnt to write with my left. It wasn’t pretty, but it didn’t hurt,” she laughed. “As a mature-aged student, I didn’t go in thinking I’d make a lot of friends, but I have made so many fabulous friends of different ages at Endeavour. Helping each other and sharing our life experiences has created valuable reciprocal relationships.”

“I’m in the student clinic until September and I love it. It’s where you get to test your skills and knowledge in a safe environment and with colleagues and lecturers who genuinely want to see you succeed.”

When Julie started, she thought she would become a naturopath, but now she sees other possibilities. In Endeavour’s manufacturing, she learnt about making herbal medicines and creams. Julie has been developing her own range ever since. She plans to sell her practitioner-only magnesium cream products to other naturopaths, myotherapists and osteopaths in future.

When she completes her studies, Julie may practice at Botanica Medicines, where she works in retail and dispensing and locally in the Glen Iris/Camberwell area. In the meantime, what do Julie’s children think of her career change? She laughed. “My son thinks it’s wonderful, but he’s sick of hearing about it. My daughter thinks it’s great.”