Student Leadership Awards finalists

The Victoria University Student Leadership Awards recognise and celebrate our students for their leadership roles and outstanding achievements in co-curricular and extracurricular activities.

We are thrilled to share with you the finalists for our 2024 Leadership Awards.

Individual awards finalists

Discover our Moondani Balluk and volunteers awards, and discover our 2024 finalists for Volunteer of the Year!

: This award recognises a current Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander VU student for their contribution to Victoria University and to the wider Aboriginal community.
The recipient of the Moondani Balluk Aboriginal Student Award will be selected by Moondani Balluk.
The recipient will be nominated by Moondani Balluk will receive a $500 prize.
: This award recognises the outstanding contribution of a current Victoria University student to the Victoria University and/or broader community through volunteering. The applicant must have completed a volunteer activity either through VU or in the community during the current year.
The recipient of this award will receive a $500 prize.
2024 finalists
Wing Hon Shing, Master of Applied Information Technology (NMIT)
Chizoba Ezeh, Master of Project Management (NMPM)
Dimitria Petkovic, Bacehlor of Building Surverying (NBBS)
Carol Tseung, Master of Teaching (Primary Education) (EMPE)
Viet Hai Pham, Master of Business Analytics (BMBU)

VU Spirit awards finalists

The VU Spirit awards recognise students who have gone above and beyond in their leadership and engagement activities at Victoria University. There are four student categories for the VU Spirit Award.

Read about the awards and our 2024 finalists!

: This award recognises the outstanding contribution of a current VU international student to the VU community; this student embraces what it means to be an international student at Victoria University: the University of inclusion, opportunity and success.
The recipient of this award will receive a $500 prize.
2024 finalists
Naman Aggarwal, Master of Project management (NMPM)
Tanishq Samant, Master of Counselling (AMPE)
Daisy Rose Sipiti, Bacehlor of Business (BBNS)
Geetansh Goel, Bacehlor of Data Science (NBDS)
Kelly Ngoh, Bachelor of Business (BBNS)
Arpita Aggarwal, Master of project Management (NMPN)
Joey He, Doctor of Philosophy (Integrated) (UPAE)
: This award recognises the outstanding contribution of a current VU undergraduate student to the VU community; this student embraces what it means to be an undergraduate student at Victoria University: the University of inclusion, opportunity and success.
The recipient of this award will receive a $500 prize.
2024 finalists
Mayank Sajwan, Bacehlor of Cyber Security (NBCS)
Ashlie Thorburn, Bacehlor of Dermal Sciences (HBDS)
Geetansh Goel (Bachelor of Data science (NBDS)
Daisy Rose Sipiti (Bachelor of Business) (BBNS)
Dimitria Petkovic (Bachelor of Building Surveying)
: This award recognises the outstanding contribution of a current VU postgraduate coursework or research student to the VU community; this student embraces what it means to be a postgraduate student at Victoria University: the University of inclusion, opportunity and success.
The recipient of this award will receive a $500 prize.
2024 finalists
Sejani Mediliye Gedara, Doctor of Philiosophy (UPAF)
Tanishq Samant, Master Counselling (AMPE)
Carlie Bauer, Doctor of Philiosophy (UPAD)
Naman Aggarwal, Master of Project Management (NHPM)
Arpita Aggarwal, Master of Project Management (NHPM)
Madison Noone, Bachelor of Applied Movement Sciences/Master of Physiotheraphy (HCPT)
: This award recognises a Victoria University TAFE student who has demonstrated an ability to assist and lead within the classroom and practical environment or displays leadership and involvement in co-curricular and/or extracurricular activities.
The recipient of this award will receive a $500 prize.
2024 finalists
Meekah Suckling, Diploma of Nursing (HLT54121)
Joanna Howard, Certificate IV in Cyber Security (22603VIC)
Sophie Gill, Certificate II in Non-Emergency Patient Transport (HLT31120)

Team awards finalists

Read about the team awards and find out which teams made the 2024 finals!

: This award recognises the outstanding achievements of a Student Group that was established in 2024 and has benefited its members and the wider VU community.
The recipients of this award will receive a $500 team prize.
2024 finalists
VU Computer Science Society:
President: Pankaj Bansal
Secretary: Geetansh Goel
Treasurer: Manas Mehandiratta
Content Creator: Aurelio Alfons
Communication Lead: Victor Hong
Ambassador: Binay Yadav
Media Head: Aman Kaur
VU Arts and Crafts Society:
President: Liana Gainutdinova
Secretary: Lucy Liao
Treasurer: Jack Carroll
Women in Tech VU:
President: Johanne Christina Menez
Secretary: Misbah Qureshi
Treasurer: Lujin Alghamdi
Club Expanision Officer: Joya Yadav
Vice-president: Divina Budhathoki
Social Media Manager: Eliza Lai
: This award recognises an outstanding Student Group for their achievements and success in meeting their mission in 2024.
The recipients of this award will receive a $500 team prize.
2024 finalists
VU Computer Science Society:
President: Pankaj Bansal
Secretary: Geetansh Goel
Treasurer: Manas Mehandiratta
Content Creator: Aurelio Alfons
Communication Lead: Victor Hong
Ambassador: Binay Yadav
Media Head: Aman Kaur
Pasifika Islander Association VU:
President: Margaret Sand
Secretary: Naomi Fuimaono
Treasurer: Daisy Rose Sipiti
Vice President: Tj Siava
Social Media Officer: Malietasi Leah Bulu
EnactusVU:
President: Amin Eslami
Secretary: Yassmina Chalkhani
Treasurer: Mayank Sajwan
Human Resource Officer: Joyce Qiao
Human Resource Officer: Geetansh Goel
Digital Media Officer: Liana Gainutdinova
Digital Media Officer: Pankaj Bansal
Content Production: Thanawat Nguyen
Social Media Specialist: Dimitria Petkovic
Relations Officer: Adsheaya Vasakan
Marketing Director: Joya Yadav
Project Leader of PsP: Grace Mu
Co Leader of PnP: Jessica Sandrea
Event Assistant: Victor Hong
Media Assistant: Trong Nhan Nguyen
REGEN Project Lead: Nardo Wai
Project leader: Joyce Qiao
Webiste Developer Coordinator: Pankaj Bansal
Co-leader: Zain Ui Abadeen
Project Leader: Bibi Musavi
Co-leader of ACP: Tanishq Samant
VU Outdoor Adventure Club (VUOAC):
President: Alexandar Stokes
Secretary: Xavier Stinziani
Treasurer: Steve Chandler
Vice President: Noah Anderson
Vice Secretary: Katja Hesse
Vice Treasurer: Poppy Llwellyn
Social Media Manager
Islamic Society of Victoria University (ISVU):
President: Mazin Ragab
Secretary: Nas Anas
Treasurer: Subhan Alahi
Vice President: Ghaysaa Saoud
Design Officer: Noura Serhan
Social media officer: Maya Ashraf
Event Director: Tam Kumail
Marketer: Salim Sheikh
: This Award recognises the most creative and successful Student Group promotional activity in 2024.
The recipients of this award will receive a $500 team prize.
2024 finalists
EnactusVU:
President: Amin Eslami
Secretary: Yassmina Chalkhani
Treasurer: Mayank Sajwan
Human Resource Officer: Joyce Qiao
Human Resource Officer: Geetansh Goel
Digital Media Officer: Liana Gainutdinova
Digital Media Officer: Pankaj Bansal
Content Production: Thanawat Nguyen
Social Media Specialist: Dimitria Petkovic
Relations Officer: Adsheaya Vasakan
Marketing Director: Joya Yadav
Project Leader of PsP: Grace Mu
Co Leader of PnP: Jessica Sandrea
Event Assistant: Victor Hong
Media Assistant: Trong Nhan Nguyen
REGEN Project Lead: Nardo Wa
Project leader: Joyce Qiao
Webiste Developer Coordinator: Pankaj Bansal
Co-leader: Zain Ui Abadeen
Project Leader: Bibi Musavi
Co-leader of ACP: Tanishq Samant
Islamic Society of Victoria University (ISVU):
President: Mazin Ragab
Secretary: Nas Anas
Treasurer: Subhan Alahi
Vice President: Ghaysaa Saoud
Design Officer: Noura Serhan
Social media officer: Maya Ashraf
Event Director: Tam Kumail
Marketer: Salim Sheikh
Pasifika Islander Association VU:
President: Margaret Sand
Secretary: Naomi Fuimaono
Treasurer: Daisy Rose Sipiti
Vice President: Tj Siava
Social Media Officer: Malietasi Leah Bulu

Special awards finalists

Discover who has been selected as a 2024 finalist for our Outstanding Student award and Raj Kannan Leadership Scholarship.

: This award is sponsored by Alumni Relations. The recipient of this award will receive a $500 prize.
The Victoria University Alumni community includes 270,000 graduates living and working in over 136 countries. If you are a graduate from VU or any of our predecessor or off shore institutions you automatically become a lifelong member of our alumni community.
Our alumni live the VU values of Always WEST: Welcoming, Ethical, Shaping the future, being Together. This award, proudly supported by the Alumni Relations team, has been designed to help the recipient receive the best chance of achieving their goals as they transition from student to employee.
This peak award includes a 12-month mentorship from an alumni leader in your chosen area and a cash prize to help you kick start your professional wardrobe or invest in some tech.
2024 finalists
Ashlie Thorburn, Bachelor of Dermal Science (HBDS)
Liana Gainutdinova, Master of International Community Development (AMCD)
Kelly Ngoh, Bachelor of Business (BBNS)
Joima Parianai, Doctor of Philiosophy (Intergrated) (UPAG)
: Mr Raj Kannan is one of Victoria University’s distinguished 90 Legends.
He graduated from Footscray Institute of Technology (FIT) in 1988 with a Bachelor of Engineering. He is currently Partner and Executive Director, Deloitte Consulting South East Asia. He was President of the Overseas Student Association and Co-President of the Student Representative Council and involved in other student leadership activities.
Mr Kannan believes that the leadership experience he gained at FIT was invaluable to his later career and as such he is passionate about giving back to the University.
As a result Mr Kannan has established a scholarship that will support and encourage students to undertake leadership activities at VU. This prestigious award comes with a prize in the form of a $5,000 scholarship.
2024 finalists
Geentansh Goel, Bachelor of Data Science (NBDS)
Mayank Sajwan, Bachelor of Cyber Security (NBCS)
Avalon Kenny, Bachelor of Community Development (ABCD)
Zachary Chu, Bachelor of Security (NBCS)

Awards ceremony

The 2024 Student Leadership Awards ceremony will be held on Thursday 14 November.

Awards finalists are invited to attend the Student Leadership Awards ceremony to enjoy an evening celebrating our amazing student leaders with delicious food, drinks, networking, music and of course, the presentation of the Student Leadership Awards!