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Stephanie Whiley

Just before COVID, I started working in my role as International Student Transition Officer. I was very lucky enough to visit China twice to deliver pre-arrival sessions that helped prepare students for their move to China. I had the most amazing time and it was such a great experience to meet students in their home country and meet our colleagues at the Centre in China in Suzhou.

Shortly after, COVID hit and many of the students that I met would not be able to travel to Sydney to commence their studies. Our team worked hard to support international students during this time, delivering events in Sydney during holidays for those that couldn’t return home, as well as providing financial and wellbeing support. Nearly two years later after the travel bans began to ease, I was walking through the Quadrangle about to kick of International Welcome when a student said to me “Oh I met you in China two years ago – I finally made it!”

Welcoming international students to the University is one of the best parts of my job. I know how much the University opened up doors for me, and I love being able to introduce students to the place where their worlds can begin to change. Being a student in a foreign country is not easy, especially with so much going on in the world and I’m so grateful that I’m in a position to help try and make the experience here as amazing as it can be for them.