CELUSA graduate named co-winner of the 2024 University of South Australia Student Volunteer of the Year Award
CELUSA graduate and current UniSA student Lucia Rojas Rocha has been awarded co-winner of the prestigious UniSA Student Volunteer Award 2024, which recognises and celebrates outstanding volunteerism and contribution to the broader community and/or campus life.
Lucia’s mentor, Senior ELICOS teacher at the Centre for English Language in the University of South Australia (CELUSA), Lorena Ajuria shares her reflections on some of Lucia’s accolades in volunteership:
"As a senior ELICOS teacher and mentor at the CELUSA, it’s been a privilege to develop a strong bond with Lucia as her mentor since she commenced her studies online at CELUSA in an ELICOS pathways program in 2021.
I’ve been delighted to observe Lucia thrive as an international student and grow exponentially in her experiences and achievements.
Lucia’s volunteership in her local community is commendable. As a proud Peruvian national, Lucia has advocated for the Incas Peru Association in multicultural events, and for the Latin American Society of South Australia through guest speaking and networking.
As a City of Adelaide Council volunteer since 2021, Lucia participates in the Central Market Shopping Bus program, manages attendance records and monetary donations, and promotes various Council initiatives in social media campaigns.
For her exceptional contributions, Lucia was nominated City of Adelaide Volunteer of the Year in 2022 and was very deservedly awarded the prestigious South Australian Premier’s Certificate for Outstanding Volunteer Service in 2023.
Additionally, by regularly guest speaking at CELUSA, Lucia has cultivated a reputation for reliability, professionalism, philanthropy and dedication to serving her community of international student peers.
Lucia generously shares experiences and insights with our ELICOS learners and role-models international student leadership by promoting her StudyAdelaide Ambassador activities, the UniSA peer mentoring program, and Student Association volunteerism.
In doing so, Lucia showcases the advantages these initatives offer to our students, particularly in relation to social inclusion and wellbeing. Lucia’s regular visits are strategically scheduled to benefit exiting students as they transition to their UniSA studies and student feedback has consistently been overwhelmingly positive.
With a natural talent for effective communication, Lucia intuitively modulates and adapts her speaking to various English language levels, successfully accommodating students’ needs and enhancing their university life appreciation.
The mentor-mentee relationship I share with Lucia has allowed me to see her passion for and commitment to self-development firsthand through her support for Navitas educators’ professional development.
With over 20 years of experience in the ELICOS sector, our mentoring partnership has motived me to undergo continuing professional development, and seek avenues in my practice within and beyond classroom settings for model students such as Lucia to explore opportunities for growth.
By generously volunteering to feature in the Navitas Student Retention and Success Playbook case study in 2023, Today's students, tomorrow's leaders: Exploring mentoring opportunities at CELUSA, Lucia’s helped highlight good teaching practices of successful socialisation strategies to improve student outcomes.
Recently, Lucia volunteered to share her mentoring experiences with the Navitas community in the publication Green Apple, where she was interviewed for an article exploring The power of mentoring: Reflections on the merits of international student mentoring.
Lucia’s ongoing motivation and willingness to ‘pay it forward’ is an inspiration for our Navitas community of educators, current, and prospective students alike.
Lucia’s determination to willingly serve her diverse community is an inspiration for active engagement in volunteerism."
“Volunteering has also been instrumental in my quest for personal growth and philanthropy. It provides me with a unique sense of fulfillment and purpose, knowing that my actions contribute positively to others’ lives. Each act of service enriches my own life and fuels my desire to give back. For me, volunteering is a powerful way to align my values with my actions and create a cycle of positive impact.” - Lucia Rojas Rocha