#MonashAlumni

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Sarah-Anne Butler

Sarah-Anne is eagerly developing a global commercial perspective through her studies in Law, Arts (Psychology) and a Diploma in Languages (Chinese). She is working as a paralegal at King & Wood Mallesons and aspires to work as a lawyer in an international commercial law firm. Given the rise of the borderless world of technology, she believes that building an innovative mindset will assist her to develop the skills necessary to succeed and thrive in the modern legal industry.

Through her Chinese studies, Sarah-Anne has already embarked on her global journey by acquiring a level of linguistic and cultural competency, as well as an insight into Australia’s biggest trading partner. In addition, her leadership role as an executive member of the Australia-China Youth Association at Monash has made her more globally minded. With her interest in commercial dealings and China, Sarah-Anne is looking forward to meeting Sue Fennessy to learn about her founding of The8App and her business relations while working in Shanghai.

Sarah-Anne currently volunteers as a legal officer at the not-for-profit organisation, Oaktree. She appreciates this opportunity to harness her legal skills while also engaging in youth participation and advocacy work. She has also been fortunate to learn the value and importance of mentoring, being a mentee in the Victorian Women Lawyers’ mentoring program. She hopes to develop her leadership skills through this Global Discovery Program in order to act as a mentor for younger law students.

Sarah-Anne is delighted to have been chosen for the Global Discovery Program and will embrace the opportunities it offers to learn and to develop an innovative mindset.

Learn more about the Global Discovery Program.

[thejessicat]

Though we'll all adults now... We may have already graduated from #Monash but you'll never get Monash out of us! ❌ 📚🙌🎉 #MonashUniversity #Australia #Gippsland #MonashAlumni #Uni #Unidays #CatchUp #Malaysia #Mauritius (at Tom Dick & Harry's Pavilion)

[monashuni]

Wang Khang Hwui

Wang Khang Hwui, also known as Josh, is in his final year studying Business Analytics and Banking Finance. Josh is an analytical problem-solver who loves challenges. From a young age, he has possessed entrepreneurial traits that have helped him face his fears and take control of his life. In the future, Josh plans to start his own firm that will be the forefront for analytics in Malaysia.

Josh deeply appreciates the arts and portrait photography in particular. He believes that behind every portrait lies a captivating story.

He applied for the Global Discovery Program because he wanted to broaden his perspectives with the views of thought leaders, understanding their thought processes while learning about their struggles and backgrounds.

He hopes to gain inspiration and empowerment from the visits with global leaders while seeking out ideas and opportunities. His biggest expectation is to be able to learn from others’ triumphs and mistakes. Beyond that, he is keen to understand the role of analytics in a digital age and how they have helped companies become more sustainable and profitable.

Learn more about the Global Discovery Program.

[monashuni]

David Lei

David is currently studying his honours year of a Bachelor of Software Engineering. His research topics include machine learning, natural language processing and artificial intelligence.

Beyond his studies, David has gained valuable work experience working as a Technical Analyst at Accenture and as a two-time intern at Google as part of the Network Site Reliability and Google Maps teams. His most recent internship resulted in launching a new feature on Google Maps Android to millions of users worldwide.

David has also been part of the Student Innovation team at Monash’s e-Solutions, building products for students such as monPlan (a course planner) and FutureYou (a career mapper), which will soon be incorporated into the workflow for university enrollment.

In his spare time, he volunteers and works on side products, involved with such organisations as Robogals, WIRED at Monash and open source projects such as GeckoDM.

A tutor in the Faculty of Information Technology, David is passionate about education and sees it as a global passport, an equalizer allowing people to reach new heights and break boundaries. He wants to one day launch a startup that helps transform the way people learn.

David enjoys attending hackathons and techtalks. His most recent hackathon won his team a trip to San Francisco to compete in Facebook’s World Hackathon Finals.

He is honoured to be a part of the Global Discovery Program, where he hopes to build an international network, learn from successful Monash alumni and world leaders and hopefully work alongside them one day.

Learn more about the Global Discovery Program.

[monashuni]

Eliza Li

Eliza Li is a third-year Bachelor of Biomedicine/Commerce scholar, entrepreneurship ambassador, public health researcher and humanitarian global health volunteer. She is also founder of Reach In Education, a social enterprise helping create a culture of entrepreneurship in high schools.

Since launching the enterprise in 2018, Eliza has taught more than 20 high school students to think more entrepreneurially. She believes that students need to be taught future-proof skills to better prepare them for the changing world of work. In the next decade, she hopes to empower students with entrepreneurship and develop a generation of young people solving social issues.

At 20, Eliza gave her first Ted Talk, “The next era of education: why entrepreneurship needs to be taught in high schools,” at TedXMonashUniversity 2018. She was also nominated for the 2018 Victorian Young Achiever of the Year for Social Impact, cited in the Medical Journal of Australia for her public health research, named the youngest Women of Significance by Ruyton Girls’ School and is the youngest migrant founder selected by the YGAP First Gens Accelerator Program. Eliza frequently speaks at conferences and leadership camps.

Eliza shares her experiences through her blog, documenting rare opportunities and conversations she’s had with influential entrepreneurs. Eliza believes in making learning opportunities more accessible to all.

Learn more about the Global Discovery Program.

[monashuni]

Andrew Stevenson

In the final year of his Theatre and Performance degree, Andrew is an actor with a passion for creating authentic work. He believes all people should feel comfortable to express their thoughts and experiences through art, regardless of gender, race, sexuality or beliefs. He will soon begin working in consultation with Vision Australia and the vision impaired community to create theatre that is as exciting for the vision impaired as for sighted audience members.

Andrew strives to promote the importance of having a “key communicative toolkit” in all industries. He believes that developing strong professional and personal communication skills is vital to discovering new opportunities.

During the Global Discovery Program, Andrew particularly looks forward to meeting Karl Redenbach, CEO and co-founder of LiveTiles. He is excited to learn how a creative and artistic mindset can be utilised in the professional development of new software technologies and business development.

He is also eager to meet Dimitra Manis, Chief People Officer of S&P Global, due to her promotion of the importance of self-reflection and -awareness – skills he has strived to develop over the past months.

Andrew looks forward to experiencing New York, where he plans to someday pursue his acting career. He hopes that the Global Discovery Program will allow him to initiate conversation with global leaders from a range of professions, discovering new ways of thinking.

Learn more about the Global Discovery Program.

[monashuni]

Edwina Kolomanski

Edwina is a second-year Juris Doctor student with a passion for innovation, large-scale transformation and the future world of work.

Currently a change manager at Telstra, working across a complex digital transformation project, Edwina’s professional career has also included time with the AFL, Tennis Australia and the Victorian Government.

More recently, Edwina created the purpose-driven startup girledworld. Dispirited with the current and future career education available to young Australians and a lack of visible female role models, she co-founded the ed- tech startup while completing her Master of Entrepreneurship in 2016.

Girledworld’s mission is to empower, equip and educate the next generation of female entrepreneurs, leaders and STEM champions using interactive events, female role models, industry insights and by building 21st-century enterprise skill sets.

Edwina hopes to extend her network internationally through the Global Discovery Program, and to meet with global Monash alumni and leaders to learn more about the human and social issues of our technological age. She hopes to discuss how international organisations are proactively tackling the rapidly changing human and technological needs of their workforce.

Learn more about the Global Discovery Program.

[monashuni]

Global Leaders’ Week 2018

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“It’s about being curious all the time”

By Corinna Lagerberg

For many university students like Corinna Lagerberg, studying a Bachelor of Arts (Journalism)/Laws (Honours), preparing to enter the workforce during a time of change and disruption is a daily challenge. This month, the Global Discovery Program (GDP) saw Corinna and nine fellow students travel to New York for ten days to meet Monash alumni. The mission: developing an innovative mindset to survive and thrive in an ever changing labour market.

“The Global Discovery Program shows you what is possible. Meeting with alumni who are working at the top of their fields, who are inherently curious, who problem solve, who aren’t afraid to take risks, is such an inspiring and motivational experience,” says Corinna. Throughout the week the students visit a diverse range of alumni and companies including YouTube, MetLife Insurance, Moelis & Company, BlackRock and LiveTiles. Speaking with global industry leaders, the students gain insight about developing their own innovative mindset.

For Greg Baxter, Chief Digital Officer of MetLife Insurance, innovation is part of his daily routine. “It’s about being curious all the time. Being humble enough to explore new ideas. Having a commitment to actually do something.”

Patrick Loftus-Hill, a founding member of the GDP and a Partner and Managing Director at Moelis & Company, is passionate about the connections the program can create. “We started the Global Discovery Program in New York and it has spread globally,” says Patrick. “For me, it’s so pleasing to see what it has done for the alumni community of New York...and to give ten amazing students at Monash the opportunity to see the world and to see the world the way the alumni that live in New York see the world.” At the heart of the program is the shared experience of studying at Monash University, which fosters an international network between students and alumni. “It is one of the most rewarding parts of the program to watch your journey, the journey of the students, and to bring them along with you,” says Patrick.

As Karl Redenbach, Co-Founder and CEO of LiveTiles explains, the GDP is also focused on developing long lasting outcomes for the students involved.

“The GDP is a great opportunity to personally be involved with having the youth of Monash and some of the brightest talent come oversees,” says Karl. “Important for us is just seeing how this can hopefully impact the development of really bright and smart young people.”

[monashuni]

Samuel Goh

Samuel Goh is currently in his fourth year, studying a Bachelor of Commerce and Engineering as well as a Diploma of Languages.

As a student completing a major in Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering, Samuel is passionate about digital technology and its impact on society. There is continuous innovation in this area and enormous potential to better our society as a whole through health care, sustainability or education. Samuel would love to see digital technology used as a platform to unleash the power of global collaboration, creating communities across borders and fostering unity amongst diversity. He would also love to see digital technology used to bring education to remote areas, granting millions of people access to a resource we so easily take for granted.

Samuel considers himself globally minded and loves to connect with other cultures. In recent years, he has travelled, completed language programs and spent a year overseas on exchange. He is excited by what you can learn and experience from other cultures. Samuel works with international students at Monash, helping them develop their own cross-cultural communication.

Through the Global Discovery program, Samuel is looking forward to meeting alumni who can help him to build an innovative mindset through advice drawn from their personal experiences as global leaders and entrepreneurs. He believes that textbooks and lectures are only the start of learning.

Learn more about the Global Discovery Program.

[monashuni]

Corinna Lagerberg

A curious person who approaches situations from all angles, Corinna is in her final year of a Bachelor of Arts (Journalism) and Laws (Honours).

Corinna spent much of her Bachelor of Arts interning at major news organizations across Melbourne, including The Age, The Herald Sun and The Conversation. She subsequently received a grant from DFAT to travel to Nepal and report on humanitarian issues.

On the back of these experiences, Corinna became Editor at Monash’s online news site, Mojo News. This was also the year a purpose-built television and radio studio, the Monash Media Lab, launched. Working with a team of open-minded and creative journalism students, she began to question the model of news delivery, embracing opportunities presented by the Media Lab to deliver content like never before, introducing MojoTV, live-streaming segments of their episodes and substantially increasing Mojo’s podcast output. This growth mindset led to a growth in readership and membership numbers.

Reflecting on her time as Editor, Corinna recognizes that an innovative mindset is essential not only to survive, but also to thrive as a journalist in the digital era.

Corinna’s work in community and commercial law has demonstrated to her that innovation is integral to the development and success of all industries, especially those often practised in traditional ways. In line with this, she hopes to learn and be inspired by the Global Discovery Program’s diverse leaders so that she can develop her own burgeoning innovative mindset and ensure that she is equipped with the skills and bravery needed for an ever-changing workforce.

Learn more about the Global Discovery Program.

[monashuni]

Hayden Keep

Hayden was drawn to a Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Information Technology after recognising the need to accommodate new technology in a changing world and combining this with his passion for learning and sharing knowledge.

Hayden’s vision is to connect the world through technology and help others fulfil their potential through education. He believes the power and value of connecting ideas, people and information is tremendous, driving the world to new and wonderful places.

He loves challenging ideas and has learned that there is always something to gain from a situation, but that you may have to journey to find it. Hayden loves to share this mindset with others, encouraging perseverance and a desire to discover while being unafraid to get a little lost.

He embraces this journey in in his work as an education aide, facilitating students to make their own connections with the world and helping them shape their own visions and dreams. Hayden helps students draw upon their diversity of cultures and perspectives.

Knowing the value of new connections and stories, Hayden eagerly awaits the Global Discovery Program and the wealth of experience and knowledge it brings.

Learn more about the Global Discovery Program.

[monashuni]

Joslyn Ma

Passionate about startups, tech, innovation, the law and cultural literacy, Joslyn aspires to become a global lawyer and has committed to creating a positive impact in the world through entrepreneurship and community-building.

Currently completing a BA/LLB degree, Joslyn was recognised as the 2015 Victorian Student of the Year - Internationalisation and awarded the 2018 New Colombo Plan Scholarship. In the past few years, she founded two nonprofits and a tech and law publication. Most recently, she co-founded the World Law Forum, an independent, non-partisan, international community of changemakers committed to promoting the rule of law and transforming the world through law.

As an Australian with an international upbringing (having lived in Hong Kong for 10 years and travelled extensively), she believes an innovative mindset comes with exposure to diverse cultures, people and environments that in turn inspire a different perspective.

Through the prominent Monash alumni who stood before her, Joslyn hopes to better understand the issues facing society, as well as the innovations that are helping the world to progress. She is looking forward to meeting and learning from her fellow peers and mentors that have successfully established themselves across the ocean.

Learn more about the Global Discovery Program.