Central Coast Alumni shine

Friday, 26 September 2014

The UON Central Coast Campus celebrates its milestone 25th Anniversary in 2014, and as part of the celebrations the UON Regional Campuses Unit has profiled the university and career journeys of 25 UON Central Coast Campus graduates, to help raise the reputation of the UON on the Central Coast and to inspire other Central Coast residents to consider how a university education could help to reshape their futures.

Graduate Ginny Gallegos delivering a graduation speech

The 'Showcasing Student Success project' has profiled 25 Central Coast Campus alumni, who have excelled in their field. Working in partnership with international award-winning Central Coast filmmaker Jason van Gendren, six of the written profiles were captured in bespoke short-films, which utilised innovative technologies and visual storytelling techniques to create relatable collateral, that 'speaks' to the audience. The written profiles and videos were launched at a cocktail event attended by UON Executive, profiled alumnus and business, industry and community leaders on the Central Coast.

An overarching compilation video from the project was screened to more than 400 Central Coast leaders of business, industry and community at the annual gala Central Coast Business Excellence Awards and so far, the seven videos have had more than 1,280 views in the month since uploading to the Central Coast Campus 25th Anniversary Playlist on the UON Youtube page.

The Project has been supported by a social media campaign driven from the @Engage_CC Twitter platform, and is being supported by internal and external partners.

Another excellent outcome of this project is that ABC Central Coast is interviewing one of the 25 profiled alumni every Wednesday afternoon, with the program-length interview being broadcasted not only to a Central Coast audience, but to listeners across NSW as part of the ABC Statewide program.

Some of the profiled alumni include:

  • Joanne McCarthy – Bachelor of Arts – Gold Walkley winning journalist whose reports led to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse;
  • Jo Heighway – Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) – 2011 Telstra Australian Young Business Women of the Year;
  • Tim Silverwood – Bachelor of Science (Sustainable Resource Management) – Alumni Award finalist 2013 and co-founder of Take 3, a clean beach initiative;
  • Tim Knight – Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science (First Class Honours), current PhD candidate and Head of Sport Science and Football Conditioning for Central Coast Mariner's FC;
  • Dr Carli (CJ) Westmore – Bachelor of Oral Health and Bachelor of Medicine – Indigenous women who completed Open Foundation to commence her learning journey and has been a graduate speaker for UON;
  • Kylie Nowalinski – Bachelor of Education/Bachelor of Arts – University Medallist and English Teacher at St Edward's Christian Brothers Colleage at East Gosford;
  • Vincent Candrawinata – Bachelor of Food Science, Master of Food Science and PhD candidate – UON Three Minute Thesis winner in 2013;
  • Dr Ibithal Samarayi – Master of Fine Art and PhD in Fine Art – Open Foundation lecturer and former Iraqi refugee;
  • Dr Diane Bull - Conjoint Psychology lecturer and Australian of the Year Nominee; and
  • Tim Lynar – Bachelor of Information Technology – Research Scientist for IBM Australia.

Contact

  • Leonie Brann
  • Phone: (02) 4348 4019

Related news