2012 winners
Erin Gregor
2012 Student Leader of the Year
Erin is a strong contributor within QUT and has taken on a number of leadership and support roles. She commenced studies in 2009 with a Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship, studying a dual degree Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Journalism.
Since 2010 Erin has served as a Business Faculty Student Advisory member, providing feedback to the Dean’s office and representing the QUT student body during accreditation meetings. She is a Senior Student Ambassador, Student Learning Advisor, and a committee member with the QUT College of Excellence. Earlier this year, Erin showcased her talents as Master of Ceremonies for the QUT Ball.
Erin is a highly successful member of the QUT International Case Competition team where students from leading business schools around the world compete to develop solutions to complex business problems. Erin represented QUT in Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Thailand, Singapore, and the USA. Since 2011, QUT teams have taken first place, and are now considered among the most successful teams in the world. Erin continues to support the team through mentoring new students.
With a GPA of 6.55, Erin has appeared on the Dean’s List for academic excellence since 2009, and was invited to become a member of the Golden Key International Honours Society.
In 2011, she travelled internationally to study for one semester at the University of Leeds, and for three weeks at the Zagreb School of Economics and Management in Croatia. She excelled academically, maintaining High Distinction grades overall. During the recent Summer semester, Erin was selected as one of six Australian students to intern with leading global management consulting firm A.T. Kearney. She has since been offered several graduate positions and in February she will start as an Associate Consultant with management consulting firm Bain and Company, at their Sydney office.
In addition to her academic successes and involvement at QUT, Erin is highly participative and influential in the wider community. One of Erin’s most effective contributions is through Model United Nations, where she has taken on the role of a diplomat in simulated UN sessions. Erin has served on international panels in Australia, Taiwan, England and Scotland and won two best delegate awards. Her leadership development was recognised in 2010, when she was elected Chair of the Security Council for the meeting in France.
Within QUT, Erin supports the United Nations Students Association as Publications Editor, where she prepares a monthly newsletter for 200 subscribers.
Over the past eighteen months, Erin has been a Project Officer with Volunteering Queensland. She initiated their social media response to the 2011 floods and coordinated over 6000 volunteers for clean-up duties in the suburb of Doomben. She also developed a tailored volunteering program for 30 QUT International students allowing them to gain networks and experience through volunteering. The program was such a success that it continues throughout 2012. Erin is now a facilitator with Volunteering Queensland, helping them to deliver one of the Business Advantage modules to the QUT Business School.
Erin is a model student as well as an active community participant and mentor. Her achievements reflect and exemplify the outcomes and leadership qualities QUT seeks for all its students.
Wadzanai Chiwira
2012 Student Leadership Excellence Award Winner
While studying a Bachelor of Business with a major in Advertising, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fashion, Wadzi has an active involvement with QUT and the wider community.
She is a very active member of East West, providing orientation to new students and taking fellow students on food safaris to find good quality, budget friendly restaurants in Brisbane. Wadzi was instrumental in founding the QUT African Association, and took over presidency of the group in their second year. During QUT orientation and market days, Wadzi encourages students of all nationalities to get involved with the African community. She also supported the African contribution to QUT’s International Film Festival.
Wadzi spent eight months with Volunteering Queensland as a project support worker; assisting with administration, community liaison, and event management.
Using her creative flair as a fashion designer and print maker, Wadzi connects with indigenous and refugee groups. She has volunteered as a workshop coordinator at community-based group The Stitchery, leading classes on natural dying techniques and facilitating social inclusion through sewing.
For her final year project, Wadzi created the book “Sustainable Roots” which looks at textile design from a sustainability and community-based perspective.
Rebecca Daynes
2012 Student Leadership Excellence Award Winner
A Bachelor of Fine Arts student, majoring in Visual Arts, Rebecca has worked incredibly hard to get in to university, starting without a high school education. Now that she is here, Rebecca confidently balances her studies while raising three children. With these responsibilities, she is remarkably active in the QUT and student community acting as a strong leader to her peers.
In 2011, Rebecca was Creative Director of the QUT Women’s Collective, helping to connect university activities with the wider community and encouraging participation in cultural events amongst women from diverse backgrounds. She is President of ‘Post-Datum’ the student association for visual arts students, where she mentors younger students and is involved in fundraising and professional development activities.
She is the driving force behind the organisation of study groups for Art History units and coordinates collaborative study sessions. She also created a study guide for visual arts students, which she shares freely through a combined archive.
In 2009, Rebecca founded “Emerging Brisbane Artists”, and still continues as the Director. She organised and spoke at the forum “Women: Representing the Other” where panellists tackled questions of participation and representation for women in the arts.
Maintaining an enviable GPA of 6.2, Rebecca has been on the Dean’s List for academic excellence for three years.
Jodie Farthing
2012 Student Leadership Excellence Award Winner
Focussing her studies on sustainable practice, Jodie is a Bachelor of Engineering student in Civil and Environmental Engineering. She is a high achiever, who is very active within the university community.
Since 2011, Jodie has been one of QUT’s Extreme Engineering Ambassadors, promoting to school students the important and varied roles of engineers in the environment. Jodie is an active member of the GEMS; QUT’s group for female engineers, and regularly participates in events with the Built Environment and Engineering Deans’ Scholars. She is a member of the QUT College of Excellence and the Institution of Engineers Australia and attends events for the Society of Petroleum Engineers. Outside of her industry engagement, Jodie volunteers with the Oaktree Foundation in their “Amazing Race 4 Change”.
Earlier this year Jodie was selected as one of 40 students to participate in the “Youth Encounter on Sustainability” Japan; an 18day intensive course to discuss and debate pressing questions in sustainability.
She has a GPA of 6.8, won the BP Oil Prize in 2010, the Energex Prize for the highest result in the Design of Environmentally Sustainable Systems in 2011, and has been on the Dean’s List for academic excellence for three consecutive years.
Jodie’s latest mission is a yearlong capstone project focussing on evaluating emerging technologies for more efficient treatment of coal seam gas water.
Louise McDonald
2012 Student Leadership Excellence Award Winner
Throughout her Bachelor of Nursing degree, Louise has displayed leadership qualities by supporting and mentoring her peers. She has been a valuable participant in the QUT Peer Programs Strategy, supporting students at risk of failing or withdrawing from university.
Balancing the responsibilities of raising six teenage children, as well as full time study and volunteering, Louise is able to offer practical advice on managing a healthy work life balance. As a Peer Learning Facilitator, Louise developed learning resources and led workshops to help nursing students with their study skills.
In 2010, Louise received a Vacation Research Experience Scholarship to undertake studies with QUT’s Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation. She looked at the impact of psychosocial factors on the progress of wound healing. As a result of her research, she was approached by the Institute to work as a research assistant.
In addition to her studies, Louise volunteers with St John’s Ambulance and at Camp Phoenix for burn survivors through the Kids Foundation of Australia. She is also on the board of Pregnancy Counselling Link.
She excels academically with a GPA of 6.143 and in 2009 earned a place on the Dean’s List for academic excellence.
Kirralee Parsons
2012 Student Leadership Excellence Award Winner
Known as a quiet person who actively seeks the opportunity to gain confidence, Kirralee is a dual degree student studying a Bachelor of Health Science and a Bachelor of Media and Communication.
Each year, Kirralee hosts a picnic for fellow students providing food and board games. It began as a way to foster social engagement and break down cultural boundaries. She started this initiative in addition to her volunteer work with QUT Connect, East West and International Student Services. In 2011, Kirralee was a mentor for high school students with the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience program, and is now a student ambassador with the QUT College of Excellence.
Kirralee lends her support to a number of external volunteer groups; managing an annual site for Clean-Up Australia Day and participating in the Forty Hour Famine, International Women’s Day, and more recently in the World’s Greatest Shave. Earlier this year, Kirralee was selected to participate in the Generate Program for the Oaktree Foundation. She will attend a seven-month training program to learn about the structure and operation of an NGO.
In 2009, Kirralee won the East West Recognition Award for fostering intercultural understanding and this year she is the co-winner of the QUT Campus Volunteer of the Year award.
Natalie Reason
2012 Student Leadership Excellence Award Winner
Studying a Bachelor of Education at QUT’s Caboolture Campus, Natalie is a very capable student leader, well connected within the university and the wider community.
At local schools, Natalie supports activities related to science, arts, and reading. She volunteers with a local primary school providing classroom support to younger students and assists with a guided reading program for senior students.
Representing her peers on the Campus Advisory Board last year, Natalie provided advice to the Head of Campus on issues that relate to campus services, course initiatives, and other campus matters. She identified the need for a student club at Caboolture, similar to the Student Guild initiatives accessible in Brisbane. Natalie met with campus management and the student guild to establish the Caboolture Campus Student Engagement Committee. She recruited members, sought local business involvement, and organised fund raising events.
Since 2010, Natalie has volunteered as a peer mentor during orientation week. She is a LEGO Robotics Mentor in primary schools, and has represented QUT at the LEGO Robotics Display at the Brisbane EKKA.
In the past three years, Natalie has received four Dean’s Scholars Awards and two Executive Dean’s Service Awards for students. Her exceptional GPA of 6.273 reflects her commitment to her studies.
Edward Robinson
2012 Student Leadership Excellence Award Winner
Edward has demonstrated a strong work ethic in his dual degree, keenly involved with the QUT community while studying a Bachelor of Business and a Bachelor of Laws.
In 2010, Edward was the recipient of a Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship and became a member of the QUT College of Excellence. He is now a peer mentor acting as a role model to commencing students. As a QUT Connector and Student Ambassador, Edward supports orientation activities, attends career expos, regional tours and open days.
In the QUT Law and Justice Crime Club, students learn to investigate and prosecute in mock trials. Edward has made a name for himself as an information creator, fabricating financial and conversation records, driver’s licenses and crime scene photographs for suspects in mock crimes. He represents the Law Faculty at a wide range of events, and participates in many areas of the community engagement program including Walk for Justice and Queensland Law Week.
In the wider community, Edward volunteers with Spiritus Aged Care Service during Christmas and New Year. Last year he facilitated a debating workshop for high school students as part of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition Power Shift.
Edward’s outstanding GPA of 6.333 has secured him a position with the Golden Key International Honours Society.
Jonathan Row
2012 Student Leadership Excellence Award Winner
Contributing to the university community through mentoring his fellow students, Jonathan is studying a Bachelor of Engineering, in Civil and Construction Engineering and Civil Infrastructure.
He is the current president of the QUT chapter of Engineers Without Borders and has managed the annual plan and budget since 2010. He is active in high school outreach programs, but Jonathan’s greatest contribution to EWB@QUT is through training fellow students and supplying reports and documentation that can be used to manage the chapter sustainably once he leaves.
During Schoolies Week, Jonathan volunteers with the Red Frogs Hotel Chaplaincy program, leading a small team of volunteers and encouraging responsible celebration activities. Jonathan has also volunteered as a camp buddy to children from abusive and foster homes through Southern Cross Kids Camps in Emerald and Sydney.
Jonathan spent three weeks volunteering in Guatemala in 2008, building houses for disadvantaged families through “From Houses to Homes”, and in January of this year, Jonathan took a one month research internship at Hokkaido University in Japan. He followed this with a three week Development Education and Leadership Experience study tour in Cambodia to explore leadership in sustainability and community development.
Peter Von Einem
2012 Student Leadership Excellence Award Winner
Highly active in university peer-to-peer programs and social justice initiatives, Peter is a Bachelor of Justice student, with a major in Policing.
Peter is helping to build a connected and vibrant student body through initiatives such as QUT Connect, East West Language Exchange and Start Smart. He is an Explore Uni ambassador and a Student Representative on the School of Justice, Student Engagement and Advisory Committee.
Within the community, Peter assists his local MP with election campaign activities and is involved with a number of initiatives including Movember, Clean Up Australia Day, and the Walk for Justice with the Queensland Public Interest Law Clearing House. He volunteers with the Queensland Association for Health Communities helping to promote health and wellbeing for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Queenslanders.
Peter is passionate in the belief that higher education should be accessible to all, and that studying alongside people from a diverse range of cultural and social backgrounds enriches the student experience.
His outstanding contributions to the community have secured Peter’s position as a member of the QUT College of Excellence.
