Humans of UniSA: Emma Horner

Everyone has a story. A defining moment of their existence that makes them the person they are today. For Humans of UniSA, we delve into the depths of human nature and speak with some students to discover a slice of their personal history.

Emma Horner

Bachelor of Design (Communication Design)

I was born in Adelaide, but my parents are from Manchester. We spent a bit of time there when I was three and I came back when I was four with a very thick accent.

Throughout high school, I was able to be true to myself in terms of my appearance and sexuality. I was able to date boys and girls without experiencing any homophobia. Straight after graduating, I started a social sciences degree, but my twenties ended up being a continuation of my teenage years where I just worked in hospitality and partied. I ended up partying more than going to uni, so over the years I’ve dropped out of a few degrees. Truthfully, I was a substance abuser – it was a way for me to ignore the fact that I didn’t know what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, and the fact that I was terribly bored. I used it to put off making any adult decisions.

For a long time, I was making coffee at lots of different cafes. I landed at one particular cafe where the owners gave me a lot of responsibility, but sometimes also took advantage of me. It made me realise that if I was going to do all of this work for somebody else, I might as well be doing it for myself – so I decided to open my own café with a business partner, Horner & Pratt. Running a cafe is hard because there is no safety net. If you have a quiet week you don’t take home much money, so it can be very stressful. You’re never off, always on. You can never fully relax. What I loved about it was being able to create my own space, and working front of house is amazing from a social aspect, I formed many lasting relationships at Horner & Pratt. I was there for two years before my partner bought me out. Partnerships can be difficult if it turns out that you don’t have the same vision.

Sometimes I think I could have been more productive in my twenties, but then if I had done anything differently, I wouldn’t have ended up where I am now. I might not have started this degree, I might not have met my partner, I might not have made the friends that I’ve made. I have no idea where my future is headed, which I really like.

Interview and photography by Oliver White

This piece was originally published in Edition 28