Great commitment from 2020 Beyond AUT Award Winners

(Caption: CAANZ Careers Engagement Manager Christine McKinnon presenting the overall Beyond AUT prize for semester 2 to Siddharth Thyagaraj)

Despite the challenge of trying to fulfil volunteering and leadership hours under lockdown, Siddharth Thyagaraj, who won the Beyond AUT Award Prize for semester two, managed to volunteer for 101 hours which was nearly triple the hours needed to achieve the Beyond AUT Award. On top of that Siddharth also did 37 leadership hours.

“Many events were cancelled during the first lockdown but once lockdown lifted I got back on track. I learned over this time that if I just keep doing the work, the best will happen.”

Siddharth's volunteering and leadership included projects such as organising and leading the first student Green Impact 2020 cohort working towards reducing AUT's environmental impact, as well as volunteering for groups supporting people with food parcels and care during lockdown. Semester one Beyond AUT Award winner Mansi Mudgil says doing the award has changed her significantly.

“The award really helped me push myself. I learned many things, including how to be patient and to do things for others without expectation,” says Mansi(below right), who did many, many hours volunteering and leadership with Girl Guiding NZ and Red Cross.

Award growing rapidly

The Beyond AUT Award for postgraduate students has been running just over a year. This year 21 students achieved the Beyond AUT Award. Student Employability Director Anna Williams says she has been particularly delighted with the value postgraduate students are finding in the Beyond Award. To complete the Beyond Award students must attend an interview with Anna, as well as doing volunteering, leadership and employability hours.

“Meeting the 15 individuals doing the Beyond award over the recent weeks has reinforced to me the value the award adds for postgraduate students, particularly international students. The resilience, change, initiative and growth is truly inspiring.”

Not a box ticking exercise

Anna says many students sign up for the awards thinking they will simply be a box ticking exercise.

“Yeah, nuh. Instead it is an absolute journey of learning, knowledge, reflection and a building of self-confidence that makes you stand out in the crowd when you leave AUT.”

In all 80 students graduated with the Beyond AUT Award or AUT Edge Award at the beginning of December, surrounded by family, friends and the Employability and Careers team.

Before presenting the awards Vice Chancellor Derek McCormack congratulated the graduates for their resilience and resourcefulness.

“Many of you had to organise and run leadership events on Zoom and Teams, deal with the stress of your academic studies online and maybe worry about friends and family far away. This shows immense resilience and resourcefulness that will not only make you a better employee but also enhance your ability to contribute to other spheres of life, family and employment.”

He pointed out that nearly 40,000 hours of volunteering has been completed across both awards. “That is the equivalent of one person working full time for 20 years.”

Five organisations sponsor prizes with representatives of three able to attend the graduation and personally present their prizes and celebrate the students’ successes – MYOB, Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand and EY.

It was a truly inspirational and special evening, says Chartered Accountants of Australia and NZ (CAANZ) Careers Engagement Manager Christine McKinnon.

“Everything you’ve gone through will enable you to give and succeed in the future. I am thrilled to be part of this award.”

Winners of 2020 AUT Beyond AUT Awards

• Beyond Overall Winner Semester 1 – Mansi Mudgil
• Beyond Overall Winner Semester 2 - Siddarth Thyagaraj

Winners of 2020 AUT Edge Award

• Overall Award Semester 1 – Sarah Jaros
• Overall Award Semester 2 – Jude Gair-Ah Siu
• Volunteering Award – Shaye Va
• Leadership Award – Nicole Camacho
• Personal Growth Award – Yuanfeng Zhong (Benny)

Learn more?

Want to find out more about the AUT Edge Award or AUT Beyond Award? Email Beyond AUT Award here or AUT Edge Award here