Master of Philosophy (Queensland University of Technology), Bachelor of Secondary Education (University of Southern Queensland) Karlie is a Research Assistant with the School of Teacher Education and Leadership at the Queensland University of Technology. She is, first and foremost, a registered secondary teacher and is passionate about supporting classroom teachers who have the complex role of engaging students from complex backgrounds. In her Master of Philosophy (MPhil) study, Karlie researched student disengagement from the perspective of students who discreetly disengage in class. She aims to extend this research by completing her PhD and has a refined research focus on supporting students, and their families, who experience a significant life disruption like acute illness.