“La Trobe has been incredibly inclusive and supportive of my needs as a neurominority. The University was extremely accessible to me as an autistic person who was unable to graduate VCE and did not receive an ATAR.”
Keira Plozza is in her third year of a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in anthropology.
“I chose this course because it gives me the flexibility to pursue many interests. Anthropology is a discipline that combines my love for sociology, philosophy, linguistics, history and other social sciences,” she says.
A strong advocate for inclusive education, Keira says she has felt supported every step of the way.
“As an autistic woman, La Trobe's Disability and Inclusion Team has allowed me to succeed and thrive in a university environment. I can count on La Trobe to grant me reasonable adjustments so that I can complete my work to the highest standard possible, while still caring for my mental and emotional wellbeing,” Keira says.
“I have always had great tutors who support and challenge me in equal measure. I've also been given the opportunity to study Spanish, and I was the recipient of the Lilit Thwaites Award in 2023. I hope to travel to Spain next year to teach English and continue my studies in Spanish. La Trobe also supported me to travel to rural Indonesia as part of a Work Integrated Learning Placement that was funded by a New Colombo Plan Mobility Grant.”
After graduation, Keira would like to pursue a career in public health, advocating for neurodiverse women.
“I'd like to pursue a career in public health and use my lived experience to raise awareness about the ways that autism and ADHD impact women and girls. Autistic and ADHD women continue to go underdiagnosed in Australia and we experience significant discrimination in schools and the workplace.”
“I'd like to make a difference in the lives and experiences of other autistic women by consulting and creating resources that can contribute to both cultural and structural changes in the way that neurodiverse people are treated in universities and the workplace.”
