“I value both my academic and volunteer experiences to achieve an overall balance in my well-being and improve my career readiness. It gives me a sense of fulfillment to be able to reach academic excellence and make a positive contribution to the community for a greater good at the same time.”
Joyanne Coca, Student Volunteer
National Student Volunteer Week 2024 (NSVW) is coordinated and delivered nationally by Volunteering Queensland since 2013, acknowledging and celebrating student volunteers, and promoting volunteering to students and young people across Australia.
We are sharing some interviews with some of our amazing students making a difference to their peers and the wider community through volunteering.
As part of our LIVE in NSW Initiative, we support volunteers at the Study NSW International Student Welcome Desks at Sydney and Newcastle Airports. These students explained to us what they enjoyed most about studying in Sydney, the benefits they have experienced from volunteering and how they’ve been able to make a difference in welcoming fellow students.
This year’s NSVW theme is Generation Impact which we truly believe our student volunteers embody wholeheartedly. If your role involves international student support at your university, we’d love to see how we can leverage volunteering to enrich the study journey.
Meet Joyanne!
Area of Study: Masters (Post-graduate) in Business Administration
Country of Origin: Phillippines
Institution Kaplan Business School
Hours Volunteered: 63
Joyanne’s tip for international students:
My first few months in Sydney were purely dedicated to my academic achievements and I still felt something was missing until I found my way to volunteering. There is no better time to do volunteering than today!
Why did you choose to study in NSW?
New South Wales offers quality and high-standard education for international students. Universities offer relevant and future-ready that prepare students for real-world experience. As Australia’s largest state, NSW provides strong support for students’ academic excellence, health, safety, and social well-being. The transport system is technologically advanced.
NSW also embraces cultural diversity while preserving its heritage. Sydney, the main city, is filled with vibrant, recreational, and cultural activities that make student life more balanced.
What has been your favourite part of the experience?
I value both my academic and volunteer experiences to achieve an overall balance in my well-being. It gives me a sense of fulfilment to be able to reach academic excellence and make a positive contribution to the community for the greater good at the same time.
How have you gotten involved in volunteering?
I was inspired by a good friend who is also studying MBA at Kaplan. My first few months in Sydney have been purely dedicated to my academic achievements and I still felt something was missing until I found my way to volunteering.
How have you improved your career readiness?
I became more culturally oriented as I got the opportunity to work with students from different nationalities. Doing volunteer work at the Airport International Welcome Desk helped me develop more soft skills such as teamwork, communication, people engagement, and leadership. I also gained some practical skills like time management and reading maps or directions.
Where do you see yourself going in the future?
Apart from landing a very good career in management consulting or marketing, in terms of volunteering, I see myself beyond the International Airport Welcome Desk, of course! I should be doing more volunteer work recommended by Communiteer.
Communiteer is partnering with Study NSW for our LIVE in NSW Initiative. This involves the design and delivery of student volunteering programs and support services to create a holistic experience for international students.
Enhance the experience and outcomes for international students studying in NSW, and strengthen the international education system.
- Personalised experience for international students
- Practical & purposeful use of time
- Established programs, ready to scale
- Cost-effective, co-contribution model
