Placements lead to opportunities
“I was extremely lucky that VU placed a large emphasis on practical industry experience. My first placement was with the inaugural All Abilities Cricket Championships at Cricket Australia. During this placement I was Match Operations Coordinator, which cemented my passion and desire to work in sport and community development.
My next placement was at Cricket Victoria where I helped deliver the first ever Women’s Cricket Sport Hub in Braybrook in partnership with Maribyrnong Council. This developed my project management and stakeholder management skills. A cultural study trip to Japan then gave me the opportunity to see sport in a completely different context.
While studying and completing placements, I also volunteered with Western Bulldogs on their community programs. I embraced the opportunity and must have impressed the club so much that they offered me a position as a Lead Volunteer Adapter through which I visited schools around Melbourne’s west to deliver sport programs. This progressed to a position overseeing their community leadership program as a Workshop Coordinator and a caretaker role with the Whitten Project."
Volunteering gives its own rewards
"The importance of industry experience and networking is never lost on me.
After graduating, I became a member of Vicsport and attended one of their functions where I met Richard Amon, CEO of Disability Sport and Recreation and a fellow VU graduate. I began volunteering with the organisation, and shortly after Richard Amon offered me a job.
I am extremely lucky to have come through VU. It has had a big impact on my life and my career. I now give back to the university as a mentor on its Talent Connect program, helping to inspire the next generation of graduates through my networks and experience.”