In writing this volume of the series, The Doctoral Journey in Education, I start by acknowledging the traditional landowners and the country on which I write, work, and study, the Yuggera north of the Brisbane River and the Turrbul south of the Brisbane River which flows through Brisbane city in southeast Queensland. I pay my respects to Elders past, present, and emerging, and show respect for their continued cultural and spiritual connection to the lands and waters. I hope that the knowledge gained from our work and studies adds to our shared knowledges for the benefit of all who follow in our footsteps.
Writing my story and sharing the stories of my colleagues has been an exciting and fulfilling journey, and one that has opened my eyes more than I could have imagined. My colleagues, fellow doctoral students and now graduates, happily accepted the invitation to share their stories with you, the reader. They have openly, honestly and, at times, intimately shared their innermost thoughts, feelings, and needs as they travelled the doctoral journey. They share their cultural perspectives, viewpoints, and the experiences that have challenged them. I have been both inspired and challenged when I considered placing myself in their shoes. I thank them for graciously accepting my suggestions during the editing process and being willing to continue to be part of this book project.
I also acknowledge the enthusiasm and trust Brent Bradford has shared in offering me the opportunity to edit this volume of the series exploring the doctoral journey. Having written texts and resources for high schools, and co-authored school texts and academic journal articles, this has been an exciting new venture for me. The journey has introduced me to new people and provided insights and opportunity to discover more about multi-cultural Australia and the world for others’ perspectives. Life is a continual learning journey and editing and contributing to this volume has been an enriching and rewarding learning experience.
Also, I acknowledge my doctoral supervisor Elizabeth Mackinlay for her patience, guidance, and continued support as I explored and “grew into” post qualitative research and developed as an autoethnographic researcher not afraid to depart radically in academic writing, enabling me to write from the heart and not just my mind, to hear others’ stories, share them with respect and love, and to share my story of who I am and how I experience and see the world.