Southern Cross University students and 2019 Mayor’s Student Ambassador Sherwin Latosa, Mirriyannan Harris, Nguyen Mai Thy (Ken) Dinh and Georgia Muller
Four Southern Cross University Gold Coast students have taken on the prestigious role of Mayor’s student ambassador for 2019, officially inducted by Mayor Tom Tate at a ceremony in March.
Now in its sixth year, the 2019 Mayor’s Student Ambassador Program is made of 21 international and domestic students from 11 countries, including Southern Cross University’s Georgia Muller, Ken Dinh, Mirriyannan Harris and Sherwin Latosa.
For the first time, the ambassadors will engage directly with the Mayor in a leadership session, as well as spending a day with the Gold Coast’s key leaders to understand how the city is run.
Masters of Osteopathic Medicine student Georgia Muller described the program as a once in a lifetime opportunity including VIP behind the scenes experiences, personal development, cultural happenings, professional networking and the opportunity to lead and facilitate events across the city.
“I’m very excited to have this amazing opportunity to network and meet new people within the city and students studying on the Gold Coast from around the world,” Georgia said.
“Last Friday we had the privilege of visiting a Dream World Corroboree, an interactive experience where we learnt about Australia’s native heritage, culture, wildlife and stories. We explored the ancient craft of fire making, face painting, weapon shaping, music and art while gaining an important understanding of the Indigenous tribal boundaries through the country.”
After graduating as the school captain of Hillcrest Christian College, Georgia went on to study a Bachelor of Clinical Sciences at Southern Cross University in 2016, and is now in the first year of her Master’s degree.
Alongside her passion for health sciences, Georgia also runs her own videography business.
“It’s great to have a love in two different disciplines, it creates a great work-life balance,” she said.
Ken Dinh moved from Vietnam 18 months ago to study a Masters of International Tourism and Hotel Management at Southern Cross University, and considers himself a food enthusiast, trying new recipes and exploring different cafes and restaurants regularly.
“I love that this program offers a rich multicultural environment, providing opportunities to enrich my business knowledge and build professional networking contacts, while exploring new venture ideas.”
Mirriyannan Harris began studying a Bachelor of Business, majoring in Management in 2017 after graduating from Kingscliff High School. Aside from study she enjoys playing competitive oztag and league tag in a state competitions.
“I love how the Mayor’s Ambassador Program enables you to step outside of your comfort zone and participate in personal development workshops. The program so far has been incredible and I’m truly happy to be a part of it,” she said.
Sherwin Latosa began his Master of Social Work (Professional Qualifying) degree last year at Southern Cross University after moving from the Philippines in 2016. Alongside study he enjoys hanging out with friends and trying new restaurants on the Gold Coast, and is glad to become an ambassador for the city.
“The ambassador program not only gives us an amazing opportunity to make new friends but also gives us a great environment to be a part of during our time here on the Coast,” he said.
“It’s the good vibes you get when doing activities that’s brings the entire experience to the next level.”
New Study Gold Coast CEO Alfred Slogrove said he was impressed with the students’ enthusiasm for the program.
“This is such an incredible launching pad for our students as we help them to realise their potential while creating opportunities and friendships that will carry them forward throughout their lifetimes,” he said.
Mayor Tom Tate said the Mayor’s Student Ambassador Program was a success story not only for the students themselves, but in helping spread the word about the city’s world class education and training facilities with an unbeatable lifestyle. When the program began in 2014 there were just over 19,000 international students in the city, compared to almost 30,000 today.
“Our education and training sector is a shining light in the city for two reasons – it plays a key role in diversifying our economy; and the students become international ambassadors for the Gold Coast as they promote their experiences and career opportunities across the globe,” he said.
