Celebrating Success at the 2024 Student Experience Awards
- Blog
- 4 min read
- •Posted October 2024
The red carpet was recently rolled out for one of the most anticipated nights on our residential calendar, as we celebrated Deakin Residential Services’ annual Student Experience Awards; a very special event to celebrate the achievements of students within our residential communities across Deakin’s four campuses.
MC’d by DRS CEO Marion Grey, we were honoured to welcome distinguished guests, including Mr. David Halliwell (Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Partnerships and DRS Board Chair), Ms. Alice Faulkner (Executive Director, Faculty Services and DRS Board Member) and Ms. Kerrie Parker (Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University Services) alongside many other esteemed representatives from Deakin.
In addition to celebrating the achievements of our Residents, the evening featured outstanding musical performances from some of our talented residents, serving as a great reflection on the emphasis that DRS puts on all aspects of the student experience, including Arts and Cultural engagement, as well as a moving address by DRS Alumni Clare McIntosh who shared how her time at residences had impacted the trajectory of her professional career
These awards are highly valued by DRS students and serve to celebrate and reinforce the values that DRS fosters within the broader residential community. Reflecting on the event, Leadership Award recipient from Burwood, Anmol S said;
Winning the Leadership Award to me is a profound validation of my journey and efforts. It signals that I am on the right path and that my actions have truly made a difference in people’s lives. It’s incredibly fulfilling to know that I’ve positively impacted others and that my contributions are remembered. This award represents not just personal achievement, but a recognition of the community I’ve come to call home—one that has supported me since moving to a new continent. It reinforces my commitment to giving back to this vibrant community that has nurtured my growth, reminding me that my work as a leader has been worthwhile.
And recently appointed DRS Business Services Manager Jordan Brushfield said,
It was so wonderful to see so many parts of DRS come together to celebrate the outstanding students we have in our Res Community. Having not yet been to a Student Experience Awards evening before, I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to connect with our residents from across the four campuses and was truly blown away to hear of their amazing accomplishments.
DRS was also proud to share some of the results of its annual student experience survey, where it was shown that:
96% of residents feel safe and comfortable in their new home
93% of residents feel a close connection to Community on Res
99% of residents are aware of the DRS RESPECT values and Community expectations
95% of residents enjoyed the diverse and balanced range of orientation activities at the start of the year
Furthermore, we are thrilled to share that year to date, there have been over 30,000 individual attendances across 700 events. An extraordinary offering for our residents by our dedicated staff.
This year's award recipients are:
Emerging Leader Award - celebrating students who are showing great promise as emerging leaders across our residences.
Burwood – Joshua C
Waterfront – Cooper W
Waurn Ponds – Felicity A
Warrnambool – Emily E
Leadership Award – celebrating Residential Leaders who go above and beyond to support fellow students in their life on Residences.
Burwood – Anmol S
Waterfront – Bronte H
Waurn Ponds – Maya F
Warrnambool – Jackson B
RESPECT Values Award – celebrating the quiet achievers who consistently make life better for those around them, and who epitomize the DRS RESPECT values.
Burwood – Bhavishya N
Waterfront – Jess E
Waurn Ponds – Sarosh S
Warrnambool – Stella S
Academic Achievement Awards – celebrating those who achieved the highest score from each faculty in Trimester One.
Arts and Education:
Burwood – Jasper C
Waterfront – Rori P
Waurn Ponds – Sarah H
Warrnambool – Harvey E
Business and Law:
Burwood – Ava C
Waterfront – Megan D
Waurn Ponds - Grace H
Health:
Burwood – Elise P
Waterfront – Morrissey R
Waurn Ponds – Olivia J
Warrnambool - Vincent W
Science, Engineering and Built Environment:
Burwood – Hoang T
Waterfront – Eve F
Waurn Ponds – Lindsey A
Warrnambool – Charlee H
DRS would like to thank all involved in making the night such a spectacular success.
If you’d like to see some of the amazing things we’ve been up to this year, click here to watch our latest highlights video!
Written by
With more than 20 years experience, 10 within the educational sector, Angela leads the marketing strategy at Deakin Residential Services and has extensive knowledge and application of how to engage and attract prospective domestic and international students, leveraging the growing range of marketing channels throughout.