Student Volunteer of the Year 2011

Student Leadership and Volunteer Program

2011 Student Volunteer of the Year - Devashish Dutta Baruah

Devashish (Dev) Dutta Baruah was awarded the prestigious Student Volunteer of the Year for 2011. Dev's efforts of almost 250 hours for the year was simply outstanding and he has made a lasting contribution to both Swinburne University and the Student Leadership and Volunteer Program (SLVP).

SLVP really appreciates Dev's efforts, but not all volunteers need to contribute this amazing amount of time - even a few hours volunteer work is really appreciated and volunteers who contribute just 15 hours will qualify for special rewards, such as free training. Top volunteers will also qualify for the Vice-Chancellor's Leadership Certificate.

Dev is a really friendly and approachable student, so be sure to say "Hi" if you see him around campus. He has written a short article about his volunteer experience below:

Hey Swinburne Students,

I am Devashish Dutta Baruah (Dev), an Indian International student studying Bachelor’s of Electrical and Electronics Engineering on Hawthorn campus. I was awarded Swinburne’s Student Volunteer of the Year for 2011 and I am writing this article to share my experience with all the present and prospective volunteers across various campuses at Swinburne University.

I began the year working with the Swinburne International and Swinburne Student Amenities Association (SSAA) where we organised orientation activities for the new international and local students such as

·         Hosting the welcome ceremony

·         Providing campus tours

·         Helping new students understand their enrolment and what they need to do next

·         Giving a brief overview of the various university services available

·         Organising a Staff versus Students soccer match

·         Handing out semester planners, annual diaries, free food etc.

Other than the orientation, I was also involved in numerous activities organised and run by SSAA and other university departments throughout the year such as

·         Open day - Student Operations and Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences

·         Helpdesk – SSAA

·         Pathways Expo – Student Operations

·         International Student Advisory Group – SSAA

·         Mid-year Orientation Information Session – Student Operations

·         Conversation Club – ELICOS

·         Student Mentor – Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences

·         Student Progress Hearing Training – SSAA

I completed more than 200 hours of voluntary work, got myself into various roles and enjoyed all that I was expected to do. However, some of the roles were really challenging for example hosting the welcome ceremony on a stage in front of nearly 400 students is something I’ve never done and really helped me build up my confidence in public speaking.

By being a volunteer, I made a whole lot of new friends and gained invaluable experience in leadership and teamwork which would come handy in the real world in the future.

I also benefited as a volunteer by meeting people in important roles at the university, who are now happy to provide me with reference letters which look great with my current resume. Also, after completing a certain number of hours, volunteers get provided with free certified training in courses such as Food Handling, Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA), Coffee training, First Aid etc. which help when applying for casual and/or part-time employment.

Overall, it was an awesome experience doing all that I did as a volunteer and working with friendly people from the various departments and faculties, completing assigned jobs in a fun and enjoyable environment.

Photo - Vice-Chancellor Professor Linda Kristjanson presenting Dev

with his Student Volunteer of the Year award.