‘The opportunities at Deakin are incredible and they are there for the taking.’
From age of eight, Beau Arnfield knew he wanted to study law.
While he may not have known exactly what a law career looked like at that age, he knew he was an avid learner who liked solving problems.
‘I’ve always loved the idea of being presented with intricate, complex issues and providing tailored, creative solutions to those problems,’ he says.
Beau is now fulfilling his childhood ambition by completing a combined Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Arts and soon, he’ll be heading to Geneva to take part in the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Youth Forum.
Passionate about wanting to help solve complex global issues, Beau is also the co-founder of a social enterprise company Spair Pair that provides clothing essentials for those in living in poverty.
Recently, he attended the National Student Leadership Forum (NSLF) ‘On Faith & Values’ – an Asia-Pacific, bi-partisan initiative held in Canberra – where he participated in a four-day event with 300 other students who are all passionate about creating and leading change.
‘It was one of the most enlightening and knowledge-rich experiences of my life,’ he recalls.
‘I was able to connect with like-minded people in such a beneficial way, understand their leadership journey, what inspires them to lead and how I could help. With an emphasis on “servant leadership” (the ideology that to be a successful leader first you must serve) the forum solidified my idea of what it takes to be a truly strong leader.’
As part of his invitation to apply for the upcoming UN forum Beau had to create a two-minute video on why he believed youth social entrepreneurship was a ‘driving force for change’ and how his participation at the forum would be beneficial.
‘I took a creative approach to this video and, rather than talk at the camera for two minutes, I created a fast-paced, quick-cut and colourful “vlog” style submission. This proved successful and I am now on my way to Geneva. It means I’m able to participate in initiatives and activities that I’m truly passionate about, share my story, and also learn from others.’
He says his Deakin law studies have provided him with ‘endless opportunities’ which include real-world legal experience and valuable networking within the profession.
‘The opportunities at Deakin are incredible and they are there for the taking.’
By combining his law degree with a double major (arts degree) in criminology and public relations, Beau is also building a robust set of ‘transferable and complementary’ professional skills.
‘The study of public relations has enabled me to frame my writing to emphasise particular issues while criminology has increased my ability to write succinctly and analyse large bodies of complex academic text,’ he explains.
Importantly, Beau is also developing his professional capabilities by working for a Melbourne-based commercial law firm.
He says his Deakin learning has enabled him to thrive in the real-world legal environment.
‘The skills-building and workshop initiatives within Deakin Law School has allowed me to hone my legal research abilities and practical knowledge and afforded me a reputation of the “research guy” at the firm.’
As he prepares to travel to Geneva, Beau is looking forward to exploring more opportunities with Deakin and working towards a career that can make a difference.
‘It is my goal to not only create true impact within this world, but also show others how they can do the same. I want to be able to help others thrive and teach the importance, understanding and power that collaborative efforts can bring towards solving large-scale important issues. Ultimately I would love to integrate my passion for law and use this to be able to create a true, tangible difference to the lives of those around me.’
Achievements:
- Co-founder and CEO of Spair Pair
- Accredited MATE Gender-based violence program facilitator
- Deakin Law Students’ Society representative
- Honorary Member of the Golden Key International Honours Society for Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Community Impact
- ‘Young Social Entrepreneur’ selected for the NEXUS Global Youth Entrepreneurship Summit
- Grand finalist in the Deakin Bowater Business Challenge
- Student Entrepreneurship Consultant for SPARK Deakin
- Regular keynote speaker (Deakin Academic Breakfast, Awards Nights, Domestic Violence Conference, etc.)