Every year, students from all over South Australia apply for the Annual StudyAdelaide International Students Awards. On Friday 20 October 2017 the winners were announced in a ceremony at Government House. The winners were handed prizes and certificates in person by His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le AC, Governor of South Australia.
Congratulations to our wonderful students Yingdong Yang for winning the Academic Pathways Award, and to Lily Liviani for the Highly Commended Award. All of us at the College are very proud of your achievements. We’ve seen all the hard work you’ve put in and we’re thrilled that it’s being recognised.
Here’s a little about this winning pair and a few words directly from them
Yingdong Yang graduated from the college this year into a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Adelaide. He’s now become dux of his year, having received the highest marks overall and won top performing student for four of his subjects. During his time at the University of Adelaide College, he joined the Student Social Club and took on a significant role in organising events.
“Before I came to Adelaide, my dad told me the most important thing to do is study. My mum said life should be more important than just study. During my time in Adelaide, I have found they are both right. Living here is study itself. I do my learning not only from books but also from daily life. At the beginning of my study, my scores were not as good as I expected. I felt nervous and stressed at that time. Fortunately, I kept persevering and focused on every detail in my work, and finally, I succeeded in getting good marks.
As an international student, I know how difficult it is for someone to start studying in an unfamiliar country. Therefore, I would like to become one of the volunteers helping international students transition in their studies and getting used to Adelaide. Moreover, I aspire to be a peer tutor at the University of Adelaide Learning Centre to help others with their academic performance. Coming to study in Adelaide has been a life-changing decision and promises to fulfil my future dreams to have a positive impact on the world around me.”
Lily Liviani is from Indonesia originally and has previously studied abroad in Singapore. She spent a year with us at the College before going on to study a double degree (Bachelor of Law and Bachelor of Commerce) at the University of Adelaide.
“I feel very honoured to receive this award. I have worked hard and tried my best for the year I spent at the College, and I was involved in many events. Without putting my studies aside, I managed to do some volunteer work outside the College as well as helping out as President in the College’s Student Social Club. Receiving this award shows me how well I have pushed myself and gone out of my comfort zone.
It is motivation to do greater things in the future. I would like to have a positive impact on the community. I also hope to be able to graduate with my degree in the next five years, achieving the best results I can get.”
Congratulations also goes to Xinwei Wang, a College alumnus who was awarded for running the best International Student event – the Moon Festival Celebration at Adelaide Town Hall. Now in his third year of Architecture at the University of Adelaide, Xinwei is the President of the University of Adelaide Chinese Student Association.
The College has a long history of success at the awards, which is a reflection of the exceptional students we attract and the quality of our teaching and support (a quick thanks to all our hardworking staff!) Some of our previous award winners include Malaysian Paralympic swimmer James Wong for Sports Achievement and Oscar Ong and Rohit Kumar for Academic Excellence. We’re really lucky to have so many fantastic students coming through our courses.