Alumni Stories
Grads 2026: Emma Loaney
If you thought Emma Loaney’s University of Canberra experience sounded like a Hallmark movie, you wouldn’t be wrong – at least, on the surface.
For one, she met her best friend, Dimity, in her very first tutorial, and they’ve been inseparable ever since – they actually just returned from a European holiday together in time for Emma to officially graduate on Tuesday with a Bachelor of Communications and Media (Marketing).
In her second year, she secured her dream job as an umpire in the Women’s Australian Football League (AFLW), as well as a side hustle with the UC social media team, creating fun, student-centred content for Instagram and TikTok.
But like any Hallmark movie, her story also came with its challenges. It’s only now, while reflecting on the last three years, that she can appreciate how much she’s achieved, and how far she’s come.
Emma had always been good at school, especially in her favourite subjects: drama, media, and creative writing. But by Year 11, she started facing challenges with her mental health that affected her motivation and confidence.
“College and the first year of uni were really hard for me. I was diagnosed with anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder, and found it challenging to stay on top of my schoolwork. In the second semester of my first year, I actually failed two out of my four units,” Emma says.
That difficult second semester shattered her confidence, and Emma genuinely considered not returning the next year. But the months passed, and by the time enrolments reopened, Emma decided to give it one more shot – a decision that ended up being one of the best she’s made. She rediscovered her spark, and it was all up from there.
“I’m not entirely sure what happened over the 2023-24 summer break, but I ended up coming back stronger than ever,” Emma says.
“I got distinctions and credits for the rest of the year, and marketing finally felt like this career I had a future in.”
Ever the fan of the dramatic arts, when Emma saw an ad to join UC’s social media team as a casual social media assistant, she didn’t hesitate to apply.
“That job is something I will forever take with me – it gave me confidence, furthered my passion in content creation, and I got to make some great friends,” she says.
Her upward trajectory wasn’t limited to her academic life.
Outside of her studies, Emma has long held a passion for umpiring Australian rules football. It’s something she had done since she was 12 years old, and it has become a core part of her life.
“I’ve been umpiring since 2017 with my dad and older brother. There’s a joke among my friends that it’s sort of become part of my personality – and I honestly can’t blame them!” Emma says.
Then she was offered an opportunity to umpire professionally for the AFLW. For Emma, it was a dream opportunity to umpire at the pinnacle of the sport – and for the women’s game at that. But with the new responsibility came the challenge of managing an already busy schedule.
“I’m very grateful for the opportunity to do something I’m passionate about, but it was also extremely hard,” she says.
“During the week, I had uni, umpire training, my own fitness training schedule, my part-time hospitality job, and somewhere amid all that, I had to find some time for my family and friends as well. It was very hectic and Fridays and the weekends were usually blocked out for AFLW.”
With the extra demand on her time, she had to consider how to balance umpiring with everything else. That’s when she learned about the Eldon and Anne Foote Elite Athlete Scholarship offered at UC.
Being awarded the scholarship in 2025 gave her the support she needed – to help stay focused on studying and umpiring. What made it even more special was that she was the first female match official to receive it.
“When I found out I was the first female student to receive it as a match official, it made me realise that I was creating a pathway for others to follow, which feels pretty amazing,” Emma says.
“Officials often don’t always get the biggest claps or praise, so to have my own school backing me is something I’ll always be grateful for.”
As part of the Elite Athlete Program, Emma was able to access some academic leeway while pursuing her career as a professional umpire.
“When things got hectic, knowing that I could ask for extensions and have supportive teachers who understood my situation and made things easier. It gave me reassurance that what I was doing was important, and that they cared.”
As she progressed with her degree, Emma was required to undertake two 100-hour embedded internships, giving her the chance to try out potential options for a future career.
First, she secured an internship with Rowdy Inc., a female-owned and Canberra-based consultancy, where she was able to work on several marketing projects. It gave her insight into what a career in a marketing agency could look like.
“I worked as part of a small team and had the opportunity to work with some of the firm’s clients and come up with concepts and designs, which was pretty cool,” she says.
During the Winter Term of her third year, she was able to expand on her passion for social media by landing an influencer marketing internship with Elite Supplements.
“Having the internships – and those two different roles – opened up my perspective on what this could all look like when I graduate,” she says.
“Going into uni, I didn’t realise that those opportunities would be part of my degree, and it’s great because I was also able to make valuable connections – both companies have told me to stay in touch once I graduate.”
Emma credits having a strong support system of family and friends with helping her get through all the ups and downs of the past few years.
“My parents always kept me in check. My mum didn’t necessarily hold my hand, but she always gave me a reassuring ‘You got this, girl’,” she says.
“And having Dimity through my uni journey – her support, determination, and our Library sessions together helped me a lot, especially during my second year when I decided to come back.”
As she walked the stage at graduations, Emma reflected with fondness on her journey so far, as she looks forward to what the future may hold.
“As much as I am a positive person through and through, I criticise myself a lot. The fact that I can now, finally, take a step back and appreciate all that I have done and achieved is a pretty surreal moment,” she says.
“I’m not quite sure yet what I’ll do next but I’m hopeful that whatever I do, it’ll be something I enjoy, because what I’ve realised through this journey is when I’m enjoying what I’m doing, that’s when I thrive and become the best version of myself.”