Alumni profile

Susan Pelka is an Independent Board Director at Emergency Services State Superannuation Board. 

She holds a Bachelor of Arts from La Trobe, and is a member of the Class of 1975.

After immigrating to Australia from England in 1967, Susan was encouraged to apply for university by her high school teacher.

“A teacher said ‘No, don’t go and do nursing. You can pass your HSC … and you should go to university.' I said to my father … and his response was ‘People like us don’t go to university, Susan,'" Susan said.

But she proved her father wrong, as La Trobe was willing to give Susan the chance to study.

“When I went to La Trobe, it was the only university that would take me," she said.

With the opportunity to gain a tertiary education, Susan has gone on to make a meaningful change for the immigrants to Australia of today.

“Five years ago, we established a learning centre for women and girls for refugees and asylum seekers," she said.

"Many of them are African or Syrian. We teach them English, we teach them life-skills, we help them get food. Some are going on to university, some are moving into TAFE courses and … we’re teaching some of them how to look after their children."

Susan wants La Trobe to keep with its tradition of providing all people with a chance of further study.

"I’d like to know that it was being as accepting of people that were different as it was when it accepted me," she said.

Arts, social sciences and communications

Last updated: 9th April 2026