Jenn Ruska is a member of the Julia Creek Branch of ICPA Queensland, as well as a Federal Councillor of ICPA Australia.
Jenn and her husband, Tony, previously lived and worked on a cropping property approximately 70 kilometres north of Julia Creek with their children, Haylee and Alex. After moving to the region from the NSW–Victoria border in 2020, the family quickly discovered how different education can be for geographically isolated students.
Alex began distance education through Mount Isa School of the Air, where he thrived academically. Diagnosed at an early age with Autism and later ADHD, Alex is a highly capable student with a particular interest in science, geology and space. He is now in Year 7 and boards with a host family in southeast Queensland so he can attend a school better suited to his individual educational and support needs.
Jenn, Tony and their two dachshunds have since relocated to the Atherton Tablelands in Far North Queensland, while their adult daughter, Haylee, has returned to the NSW–Victoria border region.
Jenn originally joined ICPA so Alex could participate in the wonderful Sports for Bush Kids program organised by the ISA BOTA Branch. However, after representing the Julia Creek Branch at the Queensland State Conference, she discovered both the power of ICPA and the extraordinary strength and determination of its members.
While listening to the motions and personal experiences shared at the conference, Jenn found a fire within herself. She attended the Federal Conference soon afterwards and took the significant step of joining ICPA Australia’s Federal Council in July 2023.
Jenn has since led several Federal Council portfolios, including Travel, Tertiary and Specific Education Needs, and has also taken on a liaison role within the Rural Schools Portfolio. Her advocacy is strongly shaped by her family’s experience of distance education, disability support, boarding and the challenges geographically isolated families face when trying to access an appropriate education.
Jenn has witnessed the significant differences between the educational opportunities available to metropolitan students and those available to their rural and remote counterparts. She is determined to be a strong voice for isolated children—particularly students like Alex who may require additional educational and disability supports—and believes ICPA is the place where meaningful change can happen.
