Last Tuesday afternoon, Kate, Nadia and Eleanor attended an Up Close and Big zoom call with Rosalie Martin. Rosalie is a health professional, public speaker and fierce advocate for the vulnerable in our community. Born and raised in South Australia, she fell in love with Tasmania a long time ago. She is an advocate of fun and loves beauty in all its forms, but especially the beauty of kindness.  

Graduating from Flinders University with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Speech Pathology), Rosie has been a leader in her field for over 30 years. She has run her own practice, Speech Pathology Tasmania, for more than 20 years. She specialises in supporting young people with autism and severe literacy acquisition disorders, such as dyslexia.  

In 2013, Rosie founded the charity, Connect42, which delivered literacy and parenting programs to inmates of Risdon Prison. She was the 2017 Tasmanian Australian of the Year for the work she began at the prison. Connect42 is now also running literacy, parenting and job programs that support ex-prisoners.  

In 2016, Rosie completed an Honours Degree in Criminology at UTAS. She likes to keep very busy and hopes to soon begin a PhD in Criminology.  

Rosalie shared her experiences working in Tasmania, as a speech pathologist and starting Connect42 at Risdon Prison with the students from schools in Burnie. We were then able to have a private session with Rosalie where the girls had the opportunity to have some oneonone time with Rosalie. The girls found the session very informative and would like to thank the BIG Committee for organising the session. 

Mrs Cathy De Santis