“University, without the college experience, is only half the experience,” says Warwick Pearson.
And he’s not just saying that because it was at UNE’s Austin College that he met his wife of now 30 years, Melissa.
“You live so closely with people, get to know them well and have a lot of fun. That’s partly why I stayed in college for five years. I thoroughly enjoyed being there, including serving as a resident floor tutor.”
Ironically, Warwick and Melissa grew up less than an hour from each other, in Coolah and Merriwa (central NSW) respectively. They met when Melissa began her first year studying Science but didn’t become an item until a group Valentine’s Day dinner several years later.
Melissa had, by then, swapped to a Bachelor of Financial Administration and subsequently completed a Graduate Diploma in Financial Management, while Warwick had already undertaken a Bachelor of Arts (Archaeology) and Honours. He would go on to also complete a PhD at UNE.
Can you help support UNE students, facilities or research? Donate instantly here, or get in touch about how you'd like to contribute: (02) 6773 2870 or advance@une.edu.au
When Melissa accepted a job on the Central Coast, Warwick still had 18 months of his PhD to complete, so would visit every month or so for a week at a time. The couple was soon engaged and married in Merriwa in 1994.
Looking back, they say college life provided the perfect opportunity to get to know one another.
“You didn’t need to go out a lot to socialise; there was always something happening in college,” Melissa said. “We went to a couple of May balls together and we were heavily involved in sport (Melissa playing soccer and netball, and Warwick union and water polo) and competed in inter-college events. It’s a great way to find out if you have shared interests with a potential partner.”
For the Pearsons, that included Rottweiler dogs and – for a time – natural bodybuilding. Warwick competed from 2008 until 2018, with Melissa joining him to take bronze in the INBA Natural Olympia couples division in 2009.
These days, Melissa is into triathlon, swimming and running, and also has a black belt in karate. Warwick continues to train in the gym and enjoys pistol shooting. A high school teacher of 25 years, he has also completed a Masters in Creative Writing at UNE and “has thought seriously about doing another PhD”.
In this spirit of lifelong learning, Melissa again enrolled at UNE in 2010 to undertake an Exercise Physiology degree and she’s now a lecturer and researcher at the university.
The pair’s pavers on UNE Graduates’ Walk are just outside Dixson Library, where Warwick spent many an hour.
“UNE has played a big part in our lives and I thought it was important to leave our mark,” said Warwick. “Helping to fund future scholarships is an added benefit. Neither of us had any money while studying.”
“We both value our education and are proud UNE graduates, but UNE is also where we met and had a great time,” Melissa said. “I wouldn’t swap it for anything.”
Can you help support UNE students, facilities or research? Donate instantly here, or get in touch about how you'd like to contribute: (02) 6773 2870 or advance@une.edu.au
