President’s Letter

USASA Academic Advocacy

Everyone knows that gaining work experience during studies is important, as well as doing the “right” internship that helps to make you more job-ready, but what is a “right” internship?

I’m an international student studying Master in Information Technology (Enterprise Management). Choosing a career that I like has never been a choice for me. The chosen field of study was planned to fit the cultural expectation and trend back in my home country. Even though everything was on track, I was always looking for something different from my academic field as an inspiration for my future career.

One day I was browsing through Facebook as usual, and I saw the advertisement for USASA advocacy internship from UniSA career page. Advocacy is a term that I was completely unfamiliar to me, and it seemed like a program that is more suitable for student in social work and human resource field. However, since there is a chance for me to understand a different field of career, I gave it a try and I was lucky to be selected.

It took me a while to understand what the USASA Academic Advocacy Service was all about ; and was gradually exposed to academic policy and advocacy. I joined advocacy meetings and observed how advocates assisted students through different cases related to Academic Integrity, Grade Disputes, Complaints etc. This provided me the opportunity to learn through real cases and I liked how much we got to be involved in each meeting and contribute our thoughts after the meeting. It was very beneficial to learn and go through the real process of a client-based service and have the opportunity improve each subsequent week for 14 weeks. Most importantly we get got to experience the practical aspects involved in an Advocate’s role and learnt about complex interpersonal and decision-making skills and had the opportunity to improve organising and writing skills. One of the best thing about working with USASA was the culture. I loved how they worked hard but also encouraged us to take care of ourselves before anything. Our mentors played an important role during our internship with USASA. They had been supporting us throughout the process, letting us be exposed to a lot of opportunities and perspectives to learn from. It doesn’t matter if it is professional related or our personal situation, our mentors were always there to support us.

It was an enjoyable experience working as an advocacy intern at USASA. I’ve got to explore different field and discover an inspiration of what I really want to do for my future career. Working with USASA was an opportunity that helped me to grow both personally and professionally. Even when it was not closely related to my professional field, it will still be a major contributor to my achievement in the future. Applying for this intern position was definitely one of the best choices I have made while being a student.

Here’s all you need to know about USASA Financial Counselling

What is USASA Financial Counselling? Well, it is one of the many support services available to UniSA students, and it provides free, confidential, and non-judgmental support to students who are experiencing financial hardships or who would like to gain financial literacy advice on matters such as money management. Thanks to Financial Counsellor Chanelle and her outstanding service in empowering and advocating for students, I believe it is one of the most essential services available at university that substantially benefits financially disadvantaged students.

Why would someone need to speak to financial counsellor? I am sure many of us are struggling financially in these challenging times, whether it is due to a loss of job, lack of family support, domestic violence, debt, or other causes. There have also been several cases of international students facing financial difficulties. In such circumstances, it is favourable to contact USASA’s financial counsellor, who will be able to assist in finding a solution, whether it is through offering a grant, negotiating or advocating on behalf of the student, or assisting the student in better budgeting their finances, to mitigate financial stress.

I need help with my landlord and rental payments what should I do? I have faced a similar dilemma before, and I reached out to Chanelle, the financial counsellor, who was able to assist me and pull me out of this stressful situation. So, in circumstances like this she is your best help. She will be able to assess if you are eligible for a grant for rental payment and she can also advocate on your behalf to negotiate with the landlord. I can’t pay for groceries this week, is there anything I can do?

USASA financial counselling offers emergency food support and can help you in accessing it. They have contacts with food banks and can help provide you a voucher to get groceries.

Life as a university student is stressful enough, but when you add financial pressure to the mix, it can be exhausting and have a negative impact on your mental health. USASA financial counselling recognises this impact and is available to assist you in overcoming any financial difficulties that may be interfering with your life. They are also working on an exciting podcast, so stay tuned.

How can it help students? Financial counselling at USASA is focused on a preventative model that aims to assist students get out of hardships by empowering them to make changes and better life choices. The financial counsellor can assist you in identifying your options and providing the information you need, as well as pointing you in the right direction for additional financial support and assistance.

They can help you, • when you are struggling to pay your bills and have a grant support programme in place to assist you in applying for grants, • when you have a bad financial standing like a credit card debt or an overdue university fees and try to talk and negotiate on your behalf, • develop a budget to manage your finances better and provide you financial literacy education. • if you are in or on the edge of a crisis, such as financial difficulties brought on by domestic abuse or homelessness. Even if it is not mentioned on the website, USASA Financial Counselling can help you with a variety of financial issues. Simply book an appointment with a counsellor.

Contributors

Abbey Kelsey-Evans Aira De Los Santos Alex Lam Alex Porter Ali Knight Amrit Kumbhar Ashleigh Buck Brooke Zabrowrny Caitlin Preece Clem Stanley Daisy Evans Danielle Fopp Eiesha de la Cuesta Elena Téa Eliza Dunn Eugene Tabois Flynn Ogilvie Gagan Kaura Helena Radocaj Isabelle Higgins Isabelle Raven Jessica Bruno Jessica Dempster Jessie Walker Juan van Staden Katarina Kowplos Kate Newman Lara Pavlovitch Lauren Fox Liam MacRaild Lucy Edwards Lucy Keatch Lucy Turczynowicz Mai Nguyen Malvika Hemanth Michelle Chan Mindy Dao Moisty Nahum Gale Natalie Bellardino Nate Drewett Nikki Sztolc Nina Canala Noah Beckmann Olivia Mannella On the Record Prabhnisha Kaur Keshminder Singh Rebecca Maloney Rylee Cooper Sam Brown Sonia Zanatta Stephanie Montatore UniSA Space Club Vinola Joseph Charles Jothi Arokiamary @alexoloti_love @alexjhporter @aliknight.australia @hi_im_amrit_ @ashkbuck

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