Student Interviews

Colleen Vanderstaay, Australian Red Cross, and the Diploma of Business

Colleen Vanderstaay has been employed with the Australian Red Cross for 20 years. She has worked as a volunteer manager and an instructor and is currently the Manager, First Aid Health & Safety Services, in the Tasmanian division. She has a background in the retail nursery industry. More

First Graduate of Certificate I in Active Volunteering

Angela Fu attended SVM's Certificate I in Active Volunteering (CAV) pilot course on Monday, 26 March at Mosman Council and, having successfully completed 30 hours of volunteering and submitted her assessments, she is the School's first CAV graduate. More

Interview with Peter Treseder, Diploma of Fundraising Management graduate

Peter Treseder is the Executive Director of The Millennium Foundation Ltd, which is the fundraising arm of Westmead Hospital and Westmead Millennium Institute (WMI). Westmead Hospital is the largest teaching hospital in the Southern Hemisphere and WMI is one of Australia's premier medical research institutes. His major responsibilities entail leading the Foundation and providing clear strategic direction for all functions and activities. More

Aged care down south – Interview with Vanessa Harries, Diploma of Business graduate

Vanessa Harries is the coordinator for the Commonwealth Community Aged Care Program at Bay & Basin Community Resources Inc at Sanctuary Point on the south coast of NSW. She recently completed her Diploma of Business. Vanessa talks about why she chose to do the Diploma and what she gained from it. More

SVM student wins $15,000 in funding from Queensland Government with persuasive course assignment – Interview with Blue Care's Sallyanne LeGros

SVM student Sallyanne LeGros recently succeeded in gaining funding of $15,000 for a volunteer training program that was originally developed as part of her course assessment. Coordinator of volunteer services at not-for-profit Blue Care in Brisbane, Sallyanne developed the volunteer training program for Blue Care by researching, writing and winning a grant from the Queensland Government's Gambling Community Benefit Fund. More

Interview with Bill Hoyles – a Barnardos Senior Manager, SES volunteer Media Officer and SVM Graduate

Bill Hoyles has recently completed our Diploma of Volunteer Management and talks of how his course modules were extremely relevant to his role as a volunteer with the SES, leading him to relate the theory of the course to his role as a Media Officer. More

Interview with Linda Williams, SVM Graduate who says why not give it a go

Diploma of Business graduate Linda Williams says the course was good because it highlighted some things that needed to update in the centre where she worked. She says "the OH&S and Facilitating Innovative Projects modules are very relevant and have helped a lot with things like reviewing our OH&S standards". More

Understanding of the importance of effectively engaging with volunteers – Interview with Theresa Hoogland, SVM Graduate

Meet Theresa Hoogland, Event Coordinator for Guide Dogs Victoria. Theresa graduated from SVM's Certificate IV in Assessment & Workplace Training. She says being able to understand all thats involved in working with volunteers in greater details was her motivation for doing the course. More

Rhonda Moore: Finding the right know-how

From six volunteers to 65 in two years; a 99 percent annual volunteer retention rate; messages of praise and thanks every working day: what's the secret behind the success of the RPAH volunteer programs? Rhonda Moore tells how SVM is helping. More

Survival Skills with Robbie Pakes, Diploma of Business graduate

World Vision head office in Melbourne enjoys the help of hundreds of volunteers in roles ranging from customer service to research. Managing and co-ordinating this wealth of help requires sound volunteer management practices. Find out how doing the Diploma of Business has assisted Robbie in her job. More