We’d like you to meet some of our students and alumni who have achieved success at university or in their careers. Accounting and finance Building international connections International business student Michelle Lee Pei Hua has built a global network of connections and friends through VU studies. Counting his blessings State Member of Parliament and former Shadow Treasurer, Kim Wells was a VU accounting student almost 40 years ago. Every opportunity counts Samantha Rodrigues' co-op year gave her valuable skills and landed her a job after graduation. Building and construction Plumbing apprentice one of the world’s best Dylan Di Martino took his skills to the world stage and proved he is one of the world’s best young plumbing apprentices. Business and management Making the move to management After completing a VU bachelor degree, Sally Cheung returned for industry-relevant postgraduate study. Shooting for victory Maxwell Gratton used his MBA to ‘power up’ his career to a CEO in sport administration. Putting MBA skills to good use in social enterprises Tyson Murphy applies skills learnt in his MBA to social enterprise development in Aboriginal health. Finding his feet Samuel Manhom wasn’t given the education he desired – VU helped change that. Culture and arts Future filmmaker on the rise Benjamin Laut has used skills and connections gained at VU to co-found an award-winning film production company. Party of five Victorian Student Band of the Year, VU’s Party On My Darling are honing their skills at Kindred Studios. A dream creative writing career Alice Robinson pursued her passion for writing with a PhD and achieved her dream of becoming a novelist and academic. Education and transition Support and success A professional athlete-turned-teacher has been named one of the world’s top 50 educators in a $1 million competition. Top of the class in Education Benjamin Foster credits VU’s industry links and practical learning opportunities for taking him to his dream job. Star teacher Sarah Mullucks was named Northern Territory primary school teacher of the year 2014. A flexible education VU student turned VU teacher, Sam Dang followed a flexible pathway from diploma to postgraduate study. From TESOL student to teacher Jungsook Dempster gained a practical education in TESOL at VU and is now teaching English as an additional language. Engineering An international career as humanitarian engineer VU graduate Jeanne Vidal found her calling as a water and sanitation specialist for Médecins Sans Frontières. Prepared for employment in engineering Kim Taylor’s passion for electronics led him to VU. He completed a Masters of Engineering to expand his career options. Engineered to succeed Julien Lepine’s research into transport vehicle vibration at VU caught the eye of University of Cambridge. A practical engineering advantage Paul McCosh came to VU as a mature-age student to graduate with first class honours and find the career of his dreams. A head start in electrical engineering VU’s industry links and support services helped engineer Fatima Osman find work before she even graduated. Gaining an advantage in the workplace Working with Olympic swimmers is just one career highlight of sports engineering graduate Victoria Troster. Hitting the ground running in sports engineering Alex Henderson combined his passion for soccer and sport technology to find an exciting career in research and industry. Health sciences Nursing success through support Aaron Lethlean overcame personal difficulties through VU’s support to graduate with a degree in nursing. Gaining momentum in midwifery Emma Heard credits VU's industry connections and placement opportunities for preparing her for a career in midwifery. A pathway to a dream After escaping the Democratic Republic of Congo's civil war at 16 and spending three years in a refugee camp in Tanzania, Mlisho Karega came to Australia with the dream of becoming a doctor More than skin deep at VU Improving the health of the human body’s largest organ – the skin – is the driving force behind Levina Wirawan’s career aspirations. Achieving dreams of a beauty career Sharni Chandler has overcome years of bullying at school to become a prize-winning make-up artist. Face facts: beauty at VU Textbooks are undoubtedly a handy study tool, but there’s no better way to learn new skills than from real-life lessons. A high achiever in hairdressing National hairdressing award-winner, Jessie McAllister, gained a well-rounded education through her VU apprenticeship. Leading paramedicine in the UAE After graduating as a paramedic, Ahmed Saleh Alhajeri returned home to found the UAE's leading ambulance service. Dermal therapies star student takes up lecturing A love of dermal therapies has seen Sarah McManus move from VU student to VU lecturer. Osteo on the move Paul Hermann used his studies at VU to launch an exciting career in international consulting and clinical practice. Hospitality, tourism and event management Taking Victoria to the world Tourism graduate, Susi Miller, combines her work and passion for our State with a dream job at Tourism Victoria. Scholarship to Shanghai Student Hannah Simboro won the only Australian scholarship to attend an international events congress in Shanghai. Information systems and computing From finance to mobile app developer International student Vinh is living proof that you can never be overqualified, or that a change of career isn’t just a dream. Winning researcher Meet Catherine Xiaocui Lou, the State of Victoria’s international postgraduate student of the year. Data star Andrew Hinton's IT pathway has seen him rewarded with a position as Infrastructure Engineer at Telstra. SAP success Rohit Nangia enjoyed the breadth and depth of his learning experience whilst undertaking his Masters at VU. A bright future in IT International student Shuyan Hu entered the second year of the Bachelor of Information Technology at VU after completing the Diploma of Information Technology at VU College. Law and legal services Improving life for Australia's refugee population Travis Brooks-Garrett's migration law studies fit into his career providing support programs to refugees and Indigenous Australians. Grabbing opportunities with both hands Ante Sentić didn't believe he would ever practice law, but he made the most of his chance and has already been recognised at various levels for his achievements. Overcoming family violence to achieve a dream Vincent Shin didn't let a violent childhood stop him from realising his dream of becoming a lawyer. Paying it forward From gaining the confidence needed to study to running her own migration law practice, Maryanne Issa is now helping people achieve their dreams. Legal research with global impacts Taufik Rachman spent four challenging years juggling parenting and PhD responsibilities, but his hard work paid off when he received VU’s award for best PhD thesis. Pathway to a legal passion Marco Man’s diverse study pathway has led him from VCE to a Bachelor of Laws. A learning journey to law After fleeing the murder of his parents, Burundi refugee Innocent Karabagega has followed a pathway to Bachelor of Laws. Flying start to a legal career Stephanie Hansen has taken her career to Geneva as the only 2016 recipient of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) legal internship. Marketing and communications Making it in marketing After completing his masters degree in business marketing, Sebastian Au landed a job at his dream company, L'Oreal. Follow your dreams Building on a background in communications, Kuhan Supramaniam came to Victoria University (VU) to expand his skill set in digital media. Networking for a career in media Kayla McLeod leveraged the University’s industry connections to forge an exciting career in media. Making it in media Muamer Hot gained employment at Starcom MediaVest Group before graduation after completing an internship through VU. Nepalese student making news Postgraduate communication student, Niru Tripathi, has become the first female editor of Nepali Print Media Australia. Science Finding the right fit at VU After completing two different science-based bachelor degrees at other universities, Yao-Han Lee’s hunt for an interesting honours project took him to VU where he found top marks, supportive teaching staff, and the passion for PhD research. A path of opportunity Kuorwel Kuorwel went from refugee to research scientist with a PhD in chemistry. A pathway to PhD in science Ghofran Al-nasiri was given a chance to achieve her dreams of becoming a researcher through VU’s pathways program. Cancer researcher success William and Elizabeth Fisher Scholarship winner Charlett Giuliani has been awarded the highest Graduate Women Victoria prize for 2015. Budding marine scientist Mary Cowling took her interest in the environment to New Zealand to study fur seals. Social sciences and community services Counselling kids in trauma Rachael Pocock completed her masters through VU’s alternative entry options and now helps women and children in trauma. Giving back to the community After returning to study as a mature-age student and sole parent, Renee Page forged a career in community services. Youth work-ready Alexandra Huculak’s development as a youth worker was inspired by VU’s inclusive and nurturing atmosphere. Aiming for change Sara Graham, a ‘quiet achiever,’ chose a career close to her heart. From VU to the UN From VU to the UN to NYU, Tom Gregg has forged an outstanding career in international conflict mediation. Sport, recreation and human movement Sisters making it in sport rehabilitation Sisters Bianca and Rosemarie Michetti followed pathways from TAFE to postgraduate study. There's no place like VU Darko Dukic will always be grateful for the understanding and support he received at VU. First steps to sports industry From sport nutrition to the taboo topic of drugs in sport, Ghaith Zakaria is covering extensive ground during his Diploma of Sport Development. UEFA grant winner Luca Oppici has been awarded a 2015 UEFA grant, the only researcher outside Europe to win this prestigious award. The science of rehabilitation Accredited exercise physiologist Daniel Zeina used VU’s industry links to kick-start an exciting career. Passionate about biomechanics PhD scholar Elaine Tor appointed the first full-time biomechanist at the Victorian Institute of Sports. Transport and logistics Holden the fundamentals for success With the support and guidance of VU, Blake Dutta has forged himself a place alongside GM Holden’s senior leadership team. Opening doors to a career in logistics VU graduate and current masters student Bart Phaosihavong finds that education is a pathway to new career opportunities. Scholarship paves way Former David Hay Scholarship recipient Leanne Bradford has quickly progressed in her logistics career.
