2023
Paulo Nhantumbo Junior
Autumn 2022 - Autumn 2023
Reflecting on my time leading U:PASS sessions in Mathematics 1 and Physical Modelling, I'm filled with a profound sense of accomplishment and growth. From a rough start due to COVID, my initial university experience as an international student was both exhilarating and intimidating since we were all tied to our screens with minimal opportunity to communicate comfortably.
Becoming a U:PASS leader, a role requiring much interaction and engagement, was daunting. But Georgina, Alyssa, and the other leaders' encouragement and endless support helped me build confidence over time. It became more than just tutoring sessions. It was a hub of continuous learning for students that helped me improve my communication skills and gain a deeper understanding of my subject's fundamentals, helping me excel in my own studies. Guiding students and seeing their keenness to learn and the camaraderie we shared during our sessions made my journey as a U:PASS leader genuinely fulfilling. And best, topped with appreciation messages for the great work the leaders do at the end of every session.
U:PASS was undoubtedly one of the most rewarding experiences of my university life. It became not only my support system but also a platform to cultivate and share my passion within the engineering field. For current students, I cannot recommend the program enough. It provides an excellent opportunity to learn collaboratively, enhances your independence, and offers a supportive community of students in the same cohort. For those looking to lead, you will find it an incredible platform of people to work with and build your leadership and communication skills. My time with U:PASS has left an indelible mark on me, and I hope it continues to inspire and nurture learners as it did for me.
2021
Lina Butrus
I became a U: PASS leader after applying for the third time; don’t feel discouraged and keep applying. Being a U: PASS leader was one of the best journeys I had while being a nursing student at UTS. I have led U: PASS for two semesters and two subjects; pathophysiology and pharmacology 1 and 2.
I have developed many skills while being a U: PASS leader. I felt that I truly made a difference for many students who regularly attended. If you are looking for a rewarding career, U: PASS is definitely the right path. Personally, I felt empowered, and it was a very rewarding journey. I developed my communication skills, in which was noticed by one of my facilitators; after I stated that I was a U: PASS leader, the facilitator responded, “no wonder you are an excellent communicator”.
U: PASS is not limited to developing your communication skills; it will also develop your teamwork spirit. As a U: PASS leader, you will have to communicate with the subject coordinators, other leaders, managers, and students, whether it is face-to-face or online. You get to be a part of the educational team for one of the best universities worldwide. It definitely is a pleasure. Throughout the process, you are not alone. You are fully supported by your peers, managers, and even students.
On many occasions, I learned from students how to be a good mentor and thrive on being creative when designing questions and activities. Among many other interpersonal skills, the skills gained will make you a great candidate for your future career regardless of its field. I believe that U: PASS assisted me in securing the new graduate registered nurse position in one of the biggest public hospitals in Australia.
Casey Tuong
Autumn 2020 to Spring 2021
My experience as a U:PASS leader and senior leader has been a life-changing journey. It has been an honour to work with the U:PASS team, support my university and peers whilst undertaking my degree. This experience has taught me the importance of critical thinking skills – rather than being spoon fed. It has provided me with great confidence in myself to be a leader and socialise with peers from all paths of life.
I led the subject Accounting for Business Decisions A (ABDA) in Autumn and Spring 2020, where I have since been a senior leader in Autumn and Spring 2021. Working alongside Georgina and Maddi has been of great pleasure as they had both helped me tremendously grow as an individual and I am thankful for their continuous efforts and support.
The knowledge and skills accumulated from this unique experience has been invaluable and has assisted me to obtain a role as an indirect tax graduate at KPMG in early 2022. I feel honoured to have been apart of this program and would highly recommend for others to step up and join.
2017
Pooja Parge
Autumn 2014 to Spring 2017
U:PASS has been a tremendous experience throughout my university journey. I have been a U:PASS leader for 7 semesters and it has definitely been a highlight of my time at UTS. I just made the cut to become a leader when I applied in first year. Since then, I have just grown through the experiences I have had as a U:PASS leader.
I started off leading Mathematical Modeling 2 and later switched to Programming Fundamentals. U:PASS has impacted my life in many ways. I have developed professionally by exercising leadership, communication and time management skills. I also developed personally by learning to be more compassionate and empathetic to people, their needs and their feelings. I met so many new people and found some good friends in them. I could also use the skills learnt during U:PASS in my professional workplace and it definitely contributed to my career growth.
I would highly recommend U:PASS for every student. You can learn, revise, make new friends, meet new people, have new experiences and make the best of your time! I will truly miss our fabulous U:PASS team. So long!
2015
Sebastian Diaz
Autumn 2012 to Spring 2015
Having led U:PASS in Business Statistics for eight semesters since Autumn 2012, I feel that U:PASS was one of the most invaluable experiences during my time at university.
U:PASS' ethos of 'creating independent learners' extends quite well to being a leader. Being a U:PASS leader taught me to think on my feet, handle unexpected but rewarding challenges with an amazing support network, including fellow leaders, academics and Georgina. U:PASS provides a great sense of community.
U:PASS also provides a great pathway to other opportunities at university. I utilised many of my experiences throughout U:PASS both at the interview stages of employment and beyond. Once learning about the program, employers hold our position in high regard. U:PASS has spurred my interest in pursuing a similar teaching role in the future.
Salman Chowdhury
Spring 2013 to Spring 2015
I was the leader for Programming Fundamentals and Introduction to Electrical Engineering. I have learnt a lot from being a leader in such a short time.
When I first came to UTS, I was very shy, I used to feel uncomfortable talking to other people since I was an international student. After I became a U:PASS leader, I started to gain confidence and slowly learnt how to open up to people. I learnt how to be more social and improve my communication skills. Georgina along with the super friendly leaders made me feel comfortable and it was a lot easier for me to settle down and adapt to the new environment at UTS. I cannot imagine my life at UTS without being a part of U:PASS. I have become a much more organised person than I was, I have found a lot of new friends through U:PASS. The U:PASS sessions were just so much fun. I wish I could keep on doing this forever. I loved meeting new students and helping them out. During the busy assignment periods, the only thing I would look forward to would be the U:PASS sessions, as this would release all my stress when I came face to face with the students. Being a U:PASS leader also meant that I was continuously revising and was on top of my own fundamental subject. Leading in programming fundamentals for more than 3 semesters helped me get a good grasp on Java and programming on its own. I have gained confidence in my own coding abilities, thanks to the U:PASS program.
I would definitely recommend students to attend U:PASS if they haven’t yet. You will learn how to collaborate as a group while learning independently. I would also recommend UTS students to try to become a U:PASS leader as this will develop your communication, organisation and personal skills. U:PASS was the best thing that happened to me during my university life.
Rob Guzowski
Spring 2011 to Autumn 2015
I became a U:PASS leader in 2011, and only on my second attempt - if you feel discouraged from applying to be a leader just because you weren't accepted last time, my advice is this: don't! I went on to be a U:PASS leader for six semesters, as well as a senior leader for part of that time. I led in first year science biology and chemistry subjects.
The benefits of the U:PASS program for students is huge, and it is probably even bigger for the leaders. If taking part in the U:PASS program as a student is like being in a warm, supportive environment where everyone is there to help each other, joining the U:PASS team as a leader is like becoming part of the HELPS family. On top of that, the experience gained as a U:PASS leader is fantastic - it builds expertise in areas like education, organisation, communication and teamwork as well as the subject matter areas, of course. U:PASS was definitely one of the most rewarding things I did during my time at UTS.
2014
Adelle Elhosni
Spring 2010 to Autumn 2014
I was a U:PASS leader for a total of five semesters leading in the subject Business Statistics and as an assistant with the new U:PASSwrite initiative led by the UTS HELPS team. Being a U:PASS leader was an invaluable experience and a role I very much enjoyed. I am currently in my last semester of my combined Business and Law Degree on exchange at the University of Copenhagen. I have plans to follow the law side of my degree when I graduate, but can honestly say that the skill set I was able to develop as a U:PASS leader has been a significant help in my student life and in my professional endeavours.
My communication skills, ability to be flexible and tailor sessions for students from a range of backgrounds, and appreciate the importance of being a ‘peer’ team leader, are among a few of the skills I was able to develop during my involvement in U:PASS. Other benefits of being a leader included meeting people from all around the world which also partly inspired me to come on exchange, and on most instances I was asked about my role as a leader in law firm job interviews. The skills you gain as a leader are ones that are transferrable to almost all fields of work. In addition to the skill set you develop, the people you get to work with, including Georgina make the experience all the more enjoyable – as a U:PASS leader you work in a supportive environment where you are encouraged to do your best. My role as a U:PASS leader was immensely rewarding – for me the most rewarding aspect of being a leader comes when the students who have attended your sessions reap the benefits of the U:PASS style of learning. U:PASS has not only be a rewarding experience but an affirming one too. I know that I would like to continue in a similar role as a tutor or teacher during my career, and U:PASS has offered the best platform for me to do so.
2013
Christina Bui
Spring 2010 to Spring 2013
My name is Christina and I was a U:PASS leader from 2010-2013. This experience was amazing. Through my collaboration with our manager and the U:PASS team, I was able to help other students in need. It showed me how we, as U:PASS leaders, can give back to our university community and allowed us to become better graduates with interpersonal qualities that are crucial in our future workplace. It was the engagement in knowledge and learning from the experience that encouraged me to pursue a PhD in Finance.
George Kalatzis
Spring 2013
This here fellow U:PASS leaders, is George. George was a U:PASS leader who first joined the U:PASS force in 2013 to help students develop creative and unique methods of learning, to overcome his pressing fear of public speaking and to give back to the program which supported him throughout his undergraduate studies. In his time as a leader, he gained an invaluable set of skills, a whole new perspective about leadership and discovered just how rewarding facilitating learning amongst others could be, so much to the extent that he leapt at the opportunity to become a demonstrator and foster learning amongst students all over again. Since finishing, he has thrusted himself across a multitude of programs including The Big Lift and recently just completed a Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours). George will commence PhD studies next year.
2012
Cathline Augustiani
Autumn 2011 to Autumn 2012
Cathline Augustiani was a UPASS leader for Cost Management System (CMS) subject between 2011 and 2012.
UPASS has been an awesome experience that shaped me to be a better and more confident individual. With leadership qualities that has been developed as being a UPASS leader, I can be entrusted to be a tutor at UTS, teaching undergraduate third year finance subject. It also enhanced my learning skills, which is very helpful during my honours (in Finance) degree. I was blessed to be able to finish with First Class Honours and University Medal.
After uni, I started my professional work, joining the finance team at First American Title Insurance and now I am moving to investment management industry which has been my passion since I did my honours research. One of the most important skills I developed through UPASS is interpersonal and communication skills, which is very crucial in the workplace. I learnt to deal with different personalities and work effectively.
2011
Alexandra Spicer
Autumn 2010 to Spring 2011
I was a U:PASS leader in 2010 and 2011 and I am currently working as an economist at the Reserve Bank of Australia. My time as a U:PASS leader taught me the importance of thinking about the bigger picture and the value of discussion in getting to the bottom of a difficult concept, rather than just being told an answer. These skills are invaluable in my current role at the Bank – you can’t expect to learn everything straight from a textbook. It’s through discussion and the application of a problem where you can really start to properly grasp a concept.
Mui Lin Yuen
Autumn 2010 to Spring 2011
I was a U:PASS leader since February 2010 and led for 4 university semesters. It was great being a U:PASS leader as you get to help students that are in need. Being first year student can be challenging at times now that you are perceived as an adult and lecturers expect students to be able work with minimum supervision. So here where attending U:PASS helps whether being a leader or student, you learn a lot from the weekly sessions. You get to meet new people whom you might not get to know of in the tutorial classes, meet new friends who can be your next group assignment team member, foster your learning through open discussion and in-class activities like quizzes. Moreover, being a U:PASS leader is not just about leading study groups and re-teaching what the lecturer says, it is about encouraging students to open up and learn. While being a U:PASS leader, I improved my communication, leadership and people skills. I feel honoured to hear comments that students give when they say enjoy U:PASS sessions.
Since I graduated, I have not given up my passion for teaching and helping students so I am currently working as professional tutor in the UTS: Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning on a casual basis. The knowledge and skills I gained from U:PASS helped me greatly when tutoring students. To have empathy with students is very important especially when they are trying their best to learn the difficult accounting courses.
2010
Ajanta Moitra
2009 - 2010
U:PASS has been a life-changing opportunity for me. I would never know in life that I am passionate about teaching if I did not get the entry to U:PASS. I owe everything to the program which gave me tremendous confidence and taught me to be a leader. Being a U:PASS leader was the best thing that happened to me ever.
I was a U:PASS leader in 2009 and 2010 for the subject Mathematical Modelling 1 and Mathematical Modelling 2, under the supervision of Georgina Barratt-See, one of the best managers anyone can ever find. She helped me enormously to grow and to know myself. U:PASS is not a one-to-thirty teaching session; this is more of a place where the students get to explore their ideas to solve problems with the guidance of their leader.
My U:PASS experience helped me to get a role in UTS as a Casual Academic where I am tutoring first and second year students for past four years.
I joined Optus as a graduate engineer in 2012 and U:PASS background facilitated me immensely to achieve a placement in the challenging industry. Every little thing that I achieved so far in my life I owe it all to the wonderful opportunity of being a part of the most happening program in UTS – U:PASS!!