“In my mid-thirties, I started to question what I was doing,” Tristan explained. “I’d been working in Business Administration for a decade, and I knew I didn’t want to be there in another ten years. Thankfully, with solid support from my family and friends, I decided to throw myself into study full-time at Endeavour. I’m glad I did because it helped me appreciate where I’d come from and what I could do in four years. And now, I’m prepared for the next chapter in my life.”

“If you’re thinking about doing the same thing, my advice is to be ready to be completely absorbed! Studying naturopathy is a lot of fun, but you’ve also got to put in the effort to get the most out of it,” Tristan said. “The fact that I’d studied before, that I was working, and that I’m a dad definitely helped me prioritise my commitments. I elected not to work while I was studying so that I could give it enough attention to do well. I learnt a lot about myself as well as about natural health.”

“I chose Endeavour because it was the most accessible. I live on the Sunshine Coast and use public transport to get to college. The Brisbane campus is conveniently close to a major train station,” Tristan said. “Plus, when I looked into it, it had the longest history of all the Colleges .”

During his second year of study, Tristan successfully applied for previously-offered Endeavour’s Summer Student Research Program. He worked with researchers from Australia and the United States on a comparative analysis of treatments for functional gastrointestinal disorders. The Integrative Medicine Research journal published their findings, and in 2019, Tristan gave a poster presentation about the research at the International Congress on Complementary Medicine Research held in Brisbane.

“I was interested in the integrated treatments, rather than the specific health area,” Tristan said. “I wanted to understand how the different approaches worked together. As a second-year student, it was a great insight into how naturopaths use lifestyle, diet and herbs as facets of a treatment plan.”

After completing his degree and enjoying a well-earned break, Tristan is considering his next move. “Hopefully, it’s a combination of research and administration in natural health. During my studies, I realised that you’ve got to make your own opportunities in life, and when you do, good things happen!”