As she takes the helm of ACAP University College as its new General Manager, Lara Jacques reflects on an inspiring, nonlinear career and the future she hopes to see at ACAP.
Lara Jacques has never been one to take a straight path and she likes it that way.
The new General Manager of ACAP University College, Lara brings more than a decade of leadership experience to the job, previously working at various tertiary education institutions including UNSW, UTS and NIDA, and as the Director of Operations for UN Women Australia.
“My advice to young women in particular is that your career can take many paths – it’s not a straight line,” she said.
“My career has been off on so many different paths, and for me, it’s always about embracing those paths. Every challenge is an opportunity to be able to grow and learn.”
Like many of the students at ACAP University College, Lara didn’t jump straight into higher education after school. A passionate traveller, she explored the world before enrolling in a Bachelor of International Studies and Sociology.
While studying she spent time working in Tonga, focusing on women’s and children’s services.
“The Pacific has the highest rates of domestic violence in the world, and so I went and lived there for a year doing an operation role in Tonga was part of my degree,” she said.
“In Tonga, our role was to share our skills with our Tongan counterpart to build capacity within the Kingdom and to do international development work.”
She said her work in the Pacific, and her role as the Director of Operations for UN Women, was a childhood dream come true.
"As a kid I wanted to be an aid worker, I wanted to go out and to be able to be as close to the action as possible to be able to help. I grew up with a very strong human rights, ethical kind of background, mainly due to my mum who worked as a social worker." - Lara Jacques
She brings that same passion to her new role at ACAP, saying that one major lesson has stuck with her throughout her leadership career.
“You prioritise people, for me, that has always been the centre of my leadership,” she said.
“The team members at ACAP – they’re not just roles and responsibilities, they’re people with lives, both professionally and personally. One of the most rewarding parts of being a leader is watching people grow.”
Finding her feet as a leader took time, and she had to learn to embrace her strengths.
“I’ve learned over time in leadership positions, that you have to be your authentic self,” she said.
“When I first started, I had these views of what a leader should be and they were very masculine in some ways; you should stand in this way and speak like this. Over time, I’ve learned that my authentic self is OK, that my way of leading with empathy and transparency and ethical practice is who I am.”
At ACAP, she is excited to dive deep into the core disciplines that ACAP is renowned for and to continue to prioritise excellent placement opportunities.
“We’re a leader in psychology and counselling and social work and coaching and criminology, and we really want to be able to continue to grow and really consolidate that core delivery,” she said.
But she’s also looking to some changes in the future.
“I would also like us to have a conversation around what other courses or offerings we can have here at ACAP,” she said.
“Considering we’re focused on Human Services, then what does that First Nations piece look like for us? And how can we partner with industry and with others to be able to deliver what society requires of us and what the students require of us to be successful?”
The future of education will also be at the forefront of her goals for the role, navigating what she considers the key challenges facing the higher education space in 2025.
"I think one of the biggest challenges is the government policy around international students and the rhetoric that sits around that, which I think places us in a very challenging geopolitical environment to able to welcome international students and make them feel like Australia is a welcoming place to come. We have been that for such a long period of time and unfortunately, I think that's shifting." Lara Jacques
As for where Lara Jacques feels most relaxed and most herself?
“In the ocean, I’m an ocean swimmer,” she said.
“I swim every morning at Coogee, where I live, and I love it. It’s the best way to start the day. I’m also a lifesaver, I became a lifesaver last year, so I patrol Coogee Beach.”