The 2023 ISANA Awards were presented at the ISANA Conference Dinner on Thursday 7 December in Sydney.
The Koala congratulates the following awardees:
Conference Bursary Awards
This year conference bursaries were awarded to four members and one student.
Student – Stacey Doan, Deakin University
Members:
- Helen Nichols Starry – Geelong Student Lounge
- Sharon Cook – Study Melbourne
- Alex Li – South Eastern Sydney Local Health District
- Anneliese Elmendorp – Confidence Hackers
International students’ nomination for an outstanding support program
This award is nominated by students through their organisations.
The program should provide outstanding support for students in any educational sector or institution, for example orientation, final semester/returning home, mentoring and peer support, spouse support, learning support etc.
The program should have been evaluated and established for at least one year. The award will be a nomination from international students. The program manager/coordinator should be identified in the nomination.
The winner is:
Beside Myself: a student devised work for theatre, RMIT Training Pty Ltd
Dr Elizabeth Walley (Special Projects Coordinator)
and
Elise Fraser (Director Wellbeing & Student Experience)
Beside Myself is a work for theatre devised by international students from RMIT Training.
Developed over a period of ten weeks, in a series of 90-minute guided, weekly workshops, the resulting performance was a collaborative, creative response to the theme of ‘Anxiety.’ Beside Myself was performed to an audience of staff and students at RMIT’s Kaleide Theatre on Thursday 12 October 2023.
A curated representation of students’ personal and collective experiences, Beside Myself aimed to speak to the escalating presentations for anxiety to counsellors from the RMIT Training Wellbeing team. In a process founded on deep listening and great trust, together international student understandings and observations around this topic were explored.
The project was led by Student Experience ‘Special Projects Coordinator,’ Dr Elizabeth Walley, whose experience as a professional actor/director/playwright enabled a unique opportunity for international students to engage creatively with these themes.
Students contributed as performers, and in other key creative roles such as writing, design, stage management and backstage assistance.
Beside Myself aimed to privilege the student voice in the discussion around the common experience of anxiety and to contribute international student insight to critical understandings of anxiety. By engaging students directly in this conversation, the project also hoped to raise awareness and open discussion amongst students, de-stigmatise this common mental health and fact-of-life condition and encourage help-seeking.
The development of this devised, verbatim work required great trust within a safe, supportive environment. The making process itself was central, for in reclaiming their own experience, students were able to find agency and opportunity for growth and healing. Connections made within the group and the opportunity for individual students to give expression to their lived experience, in a respectful environment, are extremely valuable outcomes.
Although in this model, we honoured the making, and moved away from attachment to any prescribed or expected end-product, the final production was a joyous celebration of shared experience received with great respect from the whole RMIT Training community. Participating students reported the process as exhilarating. They were still smiling in the days and weeks that followed, and all spoke of the personal empowerment they had experienced, presenting their testimony in dramatic form, before an audience of their peers.
ISANA Members’ award for an outstanding individual
This award is nominated by an ISANA member.
The individual should be providing support for international students and staff, provide programs relating to learning and adjustment, and /or advisory and information services. The individual should be recognised as practising excellent professional skills and upholding ethical standards.
There are two recipients to this award:
1. Kathy Matthews, International Student Advisor, Allianz Global Assistance
Kathy is an outstanding SANiTy Committee member, outstanding Allianz Representative, outstanding advocate for international students across all sectors, and an outstanding support for all staff working with international students.
She has an extremely broad-based knowledge of all aspects of International Education in South Australia and is highly regarded and respected by all who know and work with her.
Kathy is never more than a phone call away. She always puts students first and has a deep care and compassion for our international student cohort.
No question is too small to bring to her, and she jumps to help students in crisis. She doesn’t hesitate to clear her schedule to join orientation and learning for new students to help them understand the Australian health system.
Her work in prevention of health crises is particularly valuable to international students and her insights to industry on trends continues to grow support around health and wellbeing. You won’t find another person more passionate or supportive than Kath.
When there is a critical incident, Kathy cannot be more than helpful. She makes herself available 24/7 and her knowledge, skills, processes and compassion are second to none.
As a longstanding ISANA SA/NT committee member and treasurer, Kathy dives in and helps to support the delivery of professional development. She is somewhat famous in SA for her choices of catering as it’s always a hit! We tried to look into how long Kathy has served on the ISANA SANiTy committee but it’s honestly longer than all of us. She has also previously served as national treasurer for ISANA. To summarise, she is an outstanding contributor to the welfare of students in South Australia and a valued industry colleague to all who crosses paths with her.
2. Andres Villamizar Maldonado, International Student Advisor, The University of Adelaide
Andres has been an invaluable member of the ISS team since 2022. While his official title is International Student Advisor – supporting students through complex, often critical situations, Andres has a secondary portfolio of International Peer Mentor Coordinator – a role that can at times be all-encompassing!
Andres manages student leaders, IPMs and coordinates the Language and Cultural Engagement program stating “It’ll be fun!”
He shows initiative to fill gaps in the team and this willingness to help in a pinch result in not only the ISS team feeling supported, but also that our international students experience seamless cultural events
He is commited to improvement and excellence and the team is excited to have an expansion of our IPMs to assist with orientation campus tours, flash mobs, cultural events, CommuniTea, and Discover Adelaide program.
Andres has also improved international students’ orientation experience by gamifying the International Essentials presentation using Mentimeter and he has taken charge of providing a dynamic presentation every study intake.
Andres also served as ISANA Victoria branch secretary in about 2014 and 15 – when I was the president so I know first hand how long and how committed Andres has been involved in supporting and working with students.
ISANA Council award for an outstanding individual contribution to ISANA
This award is nominated by the ISANA Council.
Desma Smith, Associate Director, International Student Advisory & Support, Swinburne University of Technology
Desma is known throughout the Australian ISANA membership as the ISANA Staple, I met her in 2004 when she first joined and She has been an active contributor to ISANA since then. Dirk Mulder has recently described ISANA as a ‘family of industry practitioners who support each other’ – Desma is a well-known respected member of the family.
Desma has held numerous roles within ISANA both at the state and national committees
- 2007-2009: National Study Abroad & Exchange Liaison
- 2010-2011: National Vice-President, Professional Development
- 2012: VicTas Branch Conference Convenor
Desma has project managed of funded government projects; contributed to ISANA submissions to government inquiries; and has held ongoing membership and support of ISANA membership for her international student advising team members over the years.
Desma project-led, on behalf of ISANA, key government-funded projects in 2008 & 2009:
- Including The development of six videos designed to inform international students of their rights and responsibilities under the ESOS Act, the Rainbow guide, Student Education Project: Orientation and Pre-Arrival Handbook; and
- an agents manual, a pre-departure guide for parents of international students and a specialised pre-departure guide for postgraduate and research students and for students being accompanied by their families
These resources are publicly available on the ISANA website and are still valuable international education resources to the industry (despite their age).
In the same years, Desma supported the ISANA executive through her contribution to ISANA submissions to the Senate Inquiry into the Welfare of International Students and the Baird Review of the ESOS Act. And , she represented ISANA before the Senate Inquiry Committee.
More recently Desma has worked in partnership with Study Melbourne to develop a training program to help international students better understand what it’s like to be a food delivery driver in Victoria. The training program ensures that international students are well-informed, well-protected, and understand their rights, responsibilities and obligations in the rapidly growing gig economy.
And she also still says ‘Yes’ to ISANA and is facilitating tomorrow’s Foundations of International Student Advising post-conference workshop!
Life Membership Award
Life Membership of ISANA is awarded in recognition of an outstanding contribution by an individual to the organisation.
Recipient: Bronwyn Gilson
Bronwyn joined as a member of ISANA in November 2008 and very quickly became actively involved in NSW Branch activities and events. She was elected to the ISANA National Council in 2014 as the ISANA Vice-President and held the role of Vice-President until 2014-2017.
Bronwyn was elected as the ISANA President in 2018 and served two terms until 2021. Anyone who has held the role of National President understands well the dedication it requires to be ‘on’ at all times – four years in this role, presiding over the most tumultuous time in international education, is to be applauded!
Since 2021, Bronwyn has continued her representation on National Council as the Immediate Past President and couldn’t help herself but to volunteer as the ISANA National Communications Manager when it became available in 2023. She just loves ISANA Council meetings! As you all now know, she has just been elected as Vice president again – will she ever learn!
Bronwyn’s legacy as the ISANA President has been difficult to capture in words – it will be interesting to hear what she feels her greatest achievements were.
The writer of this nomination had many a giggle at the number of submissions to government inquiries listed in each year’s ISANA Annual Report – some notable ones are:
- Consultation Paper on the National Code Draft
- Standing Committee on Education and Employment: Inquiry into School to Work Transition
- Department of Immigration and Border Protection Policy Consultation Paper – Visa Simplification: Transforming Australia’s Visa System
- Contributions to the Draft National International Education Strategy; National Report on Sexual Assault & Sexual Harassment at Australian Universities; the Effectiveness of the Current Temporary Skilled Visa System in targeting genuine skills shortages; and Growing International Education in Regional Australia
The writer has come up with the following legacies:
- Securing an EGI grant to develop and deliver an updated instructional tool for international education professionals to meet their obligations under the National Code 2018 (aka National Code Tutorial)
- Working in partnership with the Council of International Students Australia to develop and sign a MOU in September, 2018 (which was updated in October, 2022)
- Working in partnership with the International Education Association of Australia to develop and sign a MOU in October, 2022
- Securing an International Student Welfare Program grant to develop the ‘ESOS for Students: Consumer Protection and the National Code: Empowering International Students’ product – this product aims to enhance international students’ understanding of ESOS and the National Code
- Representing ISANA at the International Student Experience – Association Roundtable and the Global Reputation Taskforce
- Representing ISANA on the Student Services Delivery Working Group of the Council of International Education
- Overseeing ISANA’s first online conference in December, 2020 – aptly themed as ‘Turning Challenges Into Opportunities’
Bronwyn’s parting words to the membership in the 2021 Annual Report were:
“If I can leave you with one clear message, it is to become involved. I have gained so much from my role with ISANA which grew my understanding of this industry and allowed me to participate in decision-making events. And as I have heard many times, when you become a part of ISANA you suddenly realise these are truly ‘your people’.”
Congratulations again to the recipients and thank you for your dedication in supporting students and colleagues.
