Your memory wall

I am very fond of my time at Deakin. I was in the last batch of students to attend a graduation ceremony in February 2020 at Waterfront Campus before the world went into chaos due to COVID.  

My time at Deakin and in Melbourne was very special and filled with gratitude.  

I don’t think I can pick one memorable experience; I had quite a few. Burwood Campus was my second home. I clearly remember picking up coffee from the cafe next to the library, joining DUSA, finding a spot in library for assignments and exam prep, walking by the river, the events, OWeek, late night prep sessions and many more.  

What truly set Deakin apart was the diversity, I was fortunate to have friends from different parts of the world and Australia each bringing their own culture, language, and perspective. I am a different person today because I can view the world from a different perspective through the lens of my friends. The Faculty played a huge role as well – they were approachable, supportive, and genuinely helpful. Their guidance was especially valuable when navigating my internship at campus, which gave me firsthand insight into the Australian work environment. I also got my permanent work through Deakin Jobs and Internships.  

Moving to a different country was indeed a challenge in itself, but I believe I could harness each opportunity Deakin had to offer. For me, my journey and memory of Deakin is no less than an emotional bond that I will cherish for life. I revisited campus last year in Aug 2024 and it felt as if I had never left. Proud to be a (former) Deakin student and now an alum. 

One of my most memorable experiences at Deakin was a group project in my Software Engineering unit, where we were tasked with building a real-time traffic monitoring web application.

Our team of five faced technical challenges, from integrating live API data to ensuring the system scaled effectively during simulated peak hours. I took the lead on back-end development and helped optimise the server response time by 40%, which was key to our system’s performance.

What made this project stand out wasn’t just the technical complexity—it was the collaboration and problem-solving under pressure. We spent late nights in the Burwood campus labs, troubleshooting bugs and debating design decisions. The breakthrough moment came at 2am one night, when we finally resolved a persistent data synchronisation issue after hours of testing.

That moment taught me the value of perseverance, teamwork, and celebrating small wins. This experience didn’t just refine my coding skills, it gave me confidence in managing real-world challenges and shaped the way I approach technical leadership today.

My Deakin University journey commenced in 1989 when I moved onto Res in what was referred to as ‘The Block’.

From undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, to taking on an academic role and now working as a professional, Deakin has provided me with so many opportunities. I have seen Deakin grow, evolve, adapt and prosper.

I am proud to have played a small role in supporting, encouraging and assisting many students and our doctors of the future. The original Collins/Laird building is no longer, however many old buildings (and people) still remain – and that speaks volumes.

I sat next to and my future husband in our PE class in 1990. We became friends in class but did not meet up again until 1995.

We then dated and were engaged in 3 months and married in 1996. So glad we both went to Deakin Uni!

I was a very mature-aged student when I started at Deakin University after completing my Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) part-time at a local community centre. I left school early, as there was little support at home and I experienced bullying. So, I got full-time work and continued working until we had our first child. 

In the interim, I kept having dreams about completing Year 12, and these dreams came true when I did my VCE. A very nurturing English teacher instilled in me again the love I had for the written word and gave me the confidence to apply to do further study. I was working in the fitness industry at the time and had a real interest in exercise and health, as well as nutrition. By this stage, we had three children. 

I applied for and was accepted into a Bachelor of Health Sciences after an early round offer. Our three children were afforded a very good education (I made sure of this after my own experience), and all went on to complete tertiary and post-grad studies. My husband also has numerous business degrees. So, in a way, I felt I didn’t want to be the only one in the house without a tertiary qualification! 

The Health Sciences course at Deakin not only offered flexibility around my home and employment commitments, but the majors they offered would certainly elevate my knowledge to support my employment. I finished up with three majors: physical activity and health, nutrition and psychology. 

Towards the end of my studies, I was unfortunately diagnosed with breast cancer. I cannot thank the support staff at Deakin enough for the assistance and suggested strategies to help me get through the study and exams during the 12 months of treatment and ongoing medication. Never was I made to feel a nuisance, even though there were times I had to contact Unit Chairs. In fact, my children would comment, ‘You actually talk to the Unit Chairs?’ As I remember too, the Unit Chairs and Tutors, for the most part, were amiable and engaging. 

In the end, the degree did take me seven years to complete. However, the whole process and my time at Deakin did so much for my confidence, self-esteem, and improved ability to communicate with those around me.

I first enrolled off campus as an Arts student which was great because it allowed me the freedom to study while living in the United Kingdom. When I came back to Australia, I became an on-campus student and I recall a moment when I adored looking through Deakin’s Waterfront campus windows in Geelong, watching yachts and ships sail by.

At the same time, I was careful not to lose focus from my second year in Architectural Art History studies (my favourite study area). In my final year, I chose to study units in music at the Burwood campus as I viewed music as being an essential component to my Performance Studies major, not just dance and drama.

I was also fortunate that I was introduced to technology programs like Cubase, Finale and Pro Tools which are all relevant for current music industry standards. I was especially grateful for having a first-class music tutor whose experience included performing with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

Overall I found attending tutorials to be invaluable because this is when I really listened and took note of what both tutors and classmates said and I would always remember to bring my own set of questions and answers too. My history units required me to attend readings and Performance Studies allowed me to move about spaces that were made to represent the stage.

If I had only studied history, I would have needed to join a student union club for social purposes, but Performance Studies automatically filled this gap because it enabled social interaction. Although, this meant that sometimes I was trying to find how I fitted in amongst a highly competitive crowd of ‘wannabe famous’ students.

My studies took me to a variety of largely unexpected directions. History led to entering Law School and music and performance studies led to studying classical singing.

I studied at Deakin from 2010 to 2018, completing a Bachelor of Science (Honours) followed by a Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry. 

I have many fond memories from those years, but one that stands out most highlights how connected the University’s leadership is to its community. 

After my PhD graduation in June 2018, I stepped out briefly for a photo with my supervisor. When I returned, I asked my grandmother if she’d like some tea, coffee, or anything to drink. She replied that a ‘nice lady’ had already gone to get her something. A minute later, to my surprise, the then Vice-Chancellor, Professor Jane den Hollander AO, arrived with a cup of tea for her. I was a bit embarrassed and thanked her profusely, but the moment perfectly captured how down-to-earth the staff at Deakin are, right up to the University’s Executive team. 

I was not the brightest or most enthusiastic engineering student.  

Then I had Dr John Long as a lecturer for materials. He opened up a whole new area to me that was incredibly interesting. 

I ended up with [high distinctions] HDs for both basic and advanced units. I still remember lots of the content because he brought it to life and have used it throughout my career.  

Best units of my degree! 

How time flies from being asked ‘How would you like to teach?’ to becoming a member of the class of ‘92, studying under the Hawthorn Institute of Education banner. Then progressing from an undergraduate degree to postgrad, and receiving an accelerated offer from Deakin in 1997 to complete my Masters of Education via coursework in just over 18 months.

Some of my thesis work included studying the effectiveness of community colleges in Anchorage, Alaska, observing the teaching of aviation subjects at Merrill Field over two winters and returning to graduate at Geelong (also in the winter) in 1998.

The main thing I learned in the frozen North was that learners and students are pretty much the same and, apart from the accents, respond to well-trained and qualified teachers.

I owe much Deakin and their recognition and offer of an accelerated course my academic career. Happy Birthday, Deakin. Have you ever thought of teaching aviation subjects?

One of the unforgettable memories I have from Deakin is when the government announced the COVID-19 lockdown and everything went online in March 2020. It was just a few days after I arrived in Melbourne, I was staying at Deakin Res, and everyone was talking about how lecturers were saying that the classes will be online from the next day onward.

When everyone else was panicking and unsure, I was actually happy about lectures being online as it meant that I didn’t have to wake up hours early to prepare breakfast, get ready and go to class. It meant that I could be in the comfort in my own room and learn without worrying about being late to classes.

Another fond memory I have at Deakin is watching the sunset from building BC at the Burwood campus. I used to go and watch the sunset all the time, either with my friends or alone, and coming back we never failed to get pictures on the iconic link bridge.

As a wide-eyed ‘twenty something’, I decided the natural next step to completing a Bachelor of Music (Griffith University) would be to go full steam ahead in Deakin’s Master of Business (Arts and Cultural Management). Within 2 years of study I completed and graduated the degree, gained industry opportunities and employment experiences that led to my first full-time role with Sydney Opera House.

Migrating from Mumbai to Melbourne and arriving at Deakin’s Waurn Ponds Campus in the middle of peak winter 11 years ago, feels like a distant memory but a fond one at that. Being part of Deakin University helped me integrate into the new culture so easily that I never felt I was an outsider. I Met some of the best human beings whom I am fortunate to call friends even today when studying post gradation. However, the highlight was meeting my partner at Deakin and later marrying her. The one fond memory that I would like to share would be receiving the Global Citizenship Award from the then Vice-Chancellor Professor Jane den Hollander AO. It was a humbling experience for me and something that I am extremely proud of. 

The earthy smell of sodden books hit me well before I could see them. A growing mountain of steaming, charred textbooks that, only a few hours before, had been snuggling on the Deakin Rusden library shelves in 1997.

Now they sat, awkward and exposed on the footpath as firemen dumped armloads more from within the blackened walls of our campus library. Deakin Rusden, almost forgotten, was a small, creative campus locating stumbling distance from The Notting Hill Hotel. When not stumbling, we made films that ignored cinematic convention (for better or worse), wrote and performed theatre that we took very seriously, and printed black and white photos by the dozens.

Later, we erased the vinegary smell of the darkroom with the musty smell of draught on tap (that penetrated even the most repellent of 1990s fashion fibres). We learnt about sound, tapestries of it, the challenge of naming 10 individual sources of it in our environment, how to use it, how to trigger things in people with it. We learnt about cutting 16 millimetre film under high stress.

I grew dreads, played covers of anything that was flowing out of Seattle at the time and drove a 1980 Toyota Corona. I did not have a mobile phone, payphones were still being installed, my friend gifted me an email address that he created for me. Cash was very much still king.

When we went to access a webpage we often typed in the entire URL (Google was founded in 1998). Once I visited the page of American band Tool, that took 15 minutes before appearing on my beige coloured, square monitor. I studied with city kids, country kids, some wonderful Singaporean kids.

At university I was exposed to things I loved, things I’d prefer to forget and things I have long forgotten. There was an incredible diversity of music, media, people and stories. There was confidence to tell Australian stories. People still said ‘niuews’ and not ‘noos’ (news).

I told a girl once that I was heading up the coast to go surfing over the Christmas break. Much to my delight, she invited herself to join me, and then the day before we left, invited one of her girlfriends, too. We were young and deeply restless. Victoria was unknown to most of us, Australia a mystery.

We had no money to do anything and it didn’t matter. We were both hopeful and worried about the future, so living in the present made good sense. That year, a group of 3rd year students staged a rave on campus. An installation artist arrived and built an organ that was powered by bursts of flaming LPG gas.

My university was wild, unhinged, and exciting. As musical flames split the darkness and my synapses, there was nowhere else I wanted to be. Weeks later, flames cost us our library. The sentimental amongst us salvaged titles of interest from the footpath. Most of us were too occupied with what life had to offer to stop.

Choosing Deakin University was a life-changing decision for me.

As a Customer Success Manager working with international clients, I thought I was doing fine. However, studying Business Strategy, International Business and Design Thinking at Deakin completely transformed my perspective. It didn’t just enhance my skills, it gave me wings to fly higher in my career.

Even as a Cloud student, I never felt distant. From engaging online video lectures to occasional on-campus meetings, Deakin made me feel part of a vibrant and supportive community. In just two years, I grew into a more confident version of myself.

I am deeply grateful to my professors, who always encouraged me to push boundaries and strive for excellence. Their guidance shaped not only my career but also my mindset.

As someone passionate about customer success, I deeply resonate with Deakin’s commitment to creating exceptional experiences for students and alumni alike. It’s inspiring to see how Deakin values engagement and continues to uplift its community.

Being part of the global Deakin family has been an incredible journey. Thank you Deakin for transforming my life and inspiring me to aim higher every day.

I finished my Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences and Humanities with Honours in 1986 alongside Malcolm Crick, Max Charlesworth, Philippa Rothfield and Hazel Rowley. I then got a job lecturing and tutoring at Deakin for a few years, replacing Purushottama Bilimoria while he was on a much-extended stay in the US, also teaching in the inaugural Koorie teacher education program (and learnt much more than I taught, seeing the formation of Tiddas).

My favourite thing was to take my class out onto the grassy embankment and discuss – I was the long-haired barefoot bogan from Tecoma, but in those days Deakin students turned up ready to go.

Some, however had already been around the block. I also did classes in the Flinders Lane Melbourne study centre and some of the mature age students were 40 years my senior, one of them having participated in the battles on the Kokoda Track that we were then reading about in the Imperialism course. Nothing as good as having a participant there to give some character to the readings.

I still have the study guides in a box somewhere for the day I finally get seriously ‘reminsce-y’ and get a break from trying to read the rest of Marx that I started in class back then – and never stopped.

Joining the Deakin Boardriders Club and going to a university so close to Bells Beach was the highlight of my degree. In 1979, the Deakin University Sports Association (now the Deakin University Sport Society) sent me and seven others to the Australian Titles in NSW.

We were fully sponsored and that included motel accommodation, car, fuel and food. Imagine our delight when we saw students from Monash in their own cars, staying in tents! I think there were only about 10–12 members of the boardriders club.

I have been back to Deakin three times now for further qualifications, both online and at the Waurn Ponds Campus that I love so much.

The surf had me in its grip for many years but eventually I needed to escape and have been on Magnetic Island in North Queensland for 20 years. Not much surf inside the Great Barrier Reef but the scuba diving is amazing. It’s funny when you go back to studies and your student number starts with ‘79’ which is the year I started at Deakin – the link is always there.

In the 1990s, I worked at Deakin’s Waurn Ponds Campus as a cataloguer, in the audiovisual section, and as a health liaison librarian. After leaving Deakin in 1997, I spent 10 years living and working in Adelaide, Armidale, and Brisbane, all while completing my library degree, which I earned in 1996. That year, I also had the opportunity to undertake a secondment at Central Queensland University in Rockhampton, which was a highlight of my career.

I returned to Deakin in 2007, joining the Waterfront Campus library as a casual librarian. Over the years, I progressed into temporary liaison roles for Architecture and Building and Health. By 2009, I was a full-time Library Officer, and in 2015, I became a Client Experience Librarian, a position I still hold today.

Throughout my career, I’ve always worked in client-facing roles, assisting staff and students with their information needs, running digital literacy sessions, and managing casual library staff. The friendships I’ve made with colleagues have been one of the most rewarding parts of my journey, with many lasting outside of work through library dinners, outings, and catch-ups!

The library landscape has changed significantly over the years, especially with the shift to digital resources. When I began, the primary information sources were print materials, journals, newspapers, and CD-ROM databases. I’ve also seen the transformation of our library spaces, notably the renovation of the Waterfront library in 2013, which added a vibrancy to the entire campus.

I’ve gained invaluable knowledge and skills during my time at Deakin and hope I’ve been able to help students and staff navigate our diverse library resources.

Wishing Deakin a wonderful 50-year celebration!

I undertook a Bachelor of Applied Science (Health Promotion) between 1995-1997 at what was then the Rusden Campus, located on Blackburn Road in Clayton.

During the 1990s, the Burwood campus went through a massive redevelopment to expand the campus to cater for many more students. Later in the piece, the Rusden Campus closed and courses were transferred to Deakin’s Burwood Campus. My course is still offered today.

I now work at Deakin in my field of study, and absolutely love it. It’s a real privilege to be celebrating Deakin’s 50 years as a former student and staff member.