STEPS - Library - Central Queensland University

Part Three: The student learning journey
STEPS students. 204
Simone Ganter, an ex-STEPS student believes that the program is designed
so that students are supported by the lecturers, and ‘kept in the nest’, right
up until the last part when they are ‘set free’ and have to accomplish the last
bit on their own. Some people at this point drop out because it gets too
hard, but not without a fight from their fellow classmates. 205
Sometimes, a student will succumb to an external pressure and will not turn
up to class. Other students see this as the beginning of a bad end, and will
do everything in their power to coax the student into coming back to
classes, spurred on by the realisation that if one person doesn’t finish then
they might not either. 206 In many cases, this means a home visit. When
asked, ‘What are the important things that helped you to complete the
STEPS program?’, one student responded: ‘other class mates telling me if I
quit, they would hunt me down.’ 207
In some cases, the students are absent because they are unwell. Mackay
staff remember a student returning to class after an illness. Instead of giving
the usual ‘Hi’ when the student returned, several classmates rose to their
feet and gave this person a welcome back hug. 208
Vicki Stewart formed a special bond with one of her fellow classmates,
Andrew Stewart. STEPS changed her life in more ways than one. Here is
her story:
It was during the STEPS program that Andrew and I met and fell in
love.
In December 2002, Andrew and I married at Ferns Hideaway at
Byfield, bringing together three children from my first marriage, two
children from Andrew’s first marriage and our child together. Our
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