STUDENT CLUB NEWS
Introducing the incoming Student Club Executive
It is our pleasure to introduce the 2026 St Hilda’s College Student Club Executive:
Simon Krupka - Co-President
Ashna Sharma - Co-President
Alex Wackrow - Treasurer
Georgia Shell - Secretary
The College is looking forward to working with the incoming Executive and congratulate them on their successful appointment
We would also like to acknowledge the work that the 2025 Executive have put in so far this year
L-R: Georgia Shell, Simon Krupka, Diego, Ashna Sharma & Alex Wackrow
Industry Showcase Event
It was an absolute pleasure on August 28 to welcome a number of alumni back to the College to share their career journeys with our current students. th
Consisting of a selection of industry-related panels, the Industry Showcase event preceeded an Academic Dinner and students were encouraged to pick a specific session to attend where they could listen to alumni and friends of the College speak about what they are currently doing in their careers and how they got there.
Our students were also encouraged to use the canapés and dinner portion of the evening to practise their own networking skills by introducing themselves to the panellists and chatting informally.
L-R: In the Communitas Lounge, Senior Residential Advisor, Grant Hardisty hosted the Creative Industry panel which featured two friends of the College, Maddie Nunn & Joanna Werner
L-R: Sally-Ann Miller, Daryl Kroschel & Mia
formed part of the Health & Medicine panel in the JCR
Wisniewski
Our panels this year consisted of:
Business & Finance
Creative Industries
Design
Education
Health & Medicine
Law & Policy
Science & Engineering
The program of panellists can be seen HERE A huge thank you to the alumni and friends of the College who so generously donated their time for the event.
Former Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Sally Capp was the guest speaker for the Academic Dinner
As part of the Academic Dinner, it was a privilege to welcome the evening’s guest speaker, Former Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Sally Capp AO.
Sally not only generously shared her own career journey with all those in attendance, but challenged the current student body to be bold as they take the first steps into their future careers. Her advice to the audience to take chances and dream big was very well received by the students and created much conversation across the tables
L-R: Anna Foley, James Hardiman & Bridget Horsley formed the Science & Engineering panel in the Auditorium
Following the Industry Showcase, the panellists stayed on to enjoy an Academic Dinner with our students. For many of the alumni, it was a blast from the past seeing everyone in the Dining Hall all dressed up in their academic gowns.
For those who were on tables with alumni there was also much enjoyment for the students when hearing about formal dinners and events from “back in the day”.
Senior Residential Advisor, Richard Hinman (centre) hosted Hannah Fiddelaers (left) and Ben Hubbard (right) for the Law & Policy panel in the Library
Following in their footsteps
James Hardiman
Principal of St Hilda’s College
One of the most valuable and necessary parts of a modern tertiary education are those skills a student learns outside of the traditional tutorial or lecture theatre walls. Whether you call them soft skills, 21st Century skills or employability skills, ultimately it’s the interpersonal collaboration, communication and leadership skills we know industry is crying out for.
As past Hildarians will know, a college environment offers a unique space in which to develop and practise these skills - whether intentional or not!
Living with and studying alongside a couple of hundred other students teaches you pretty quickly how to navigate a whole heap of different situations and personalities
It’s also where you get to start building your future networks.
Alongside this organic development, a college experience also gives students access to intentionally-designed programs and networking opportunities.
2025's Industry Showcase with the Health & Medicine Panel
St Hilda’s has had variants of these in place since its inception and, in recent years, they have fallen under the umbrella of our Hilda’s Headstart program. This program is based around the desire to give the current Hildarian as many opportunities as possible to build confidence in these various ‘soft skills’
There’s two reasons that Hilda’s Headstart is important to us. For our students, they need these skills to become employable For industry, they need people who will have the skills and appetite to take on some of the most wicked and complex problems ever seen
It’s all well and good for someone to get amazing marks in their degree, but if they can’t enter their chosen field knowing how to communicate and negotiate, to think critically and creatively, to network, etc. then they’re not going to be able to do much with the knowledge they have poured so much time and effort into mastering. Ultimately, it’s about helping our students move from holding knowledge to making an impact
Critical to the success of Hilda’s Headstart is the involvement of previous generations of Hildarians. Who better for current students to hear and learn from than those who have already walked the path this generation is beginning to navigate?
Jason Chequer (left) & Matthew Starick formed the Economics panel at this year’s Industry Showcase event
We’ve been incredibly fortunate over the years through our Fellows, our many guest speakers and those involved in various mentor events to introduce today’s students to alumni across a vast number of industries and career paths.
The Industry Showcase in August was an event that gave the whole College cohort an opportunity to gain insight into the career journeys of members of the alumni community, while also offering a chance to practise networking in an environment where they are already comfortable
The old adage of “it’s not what you know but who you know” still exists for a reason It may not be the key to who successfully gains every position out there, but we all know your network is often who alerts you to roles that might be coming up somewhere. For the modern student though, it’s really easy to fall behind the safety of a screen and miss chances to build a network.
In current society, the necessity to interact with people in person has decreased. This has meant that, compared to generations before them, more young people are less comfortable with the notion of face-to-face interaction with people they don’t know.
This is not a criticism of the current generation Rather, it’s an observation of how the ways we communicate and interact have changed over recent decades. Ultimately, this is impacting on how different generations deal with tension points, conflict and disagreement.
It’s against this backdrop that Hilda’s Headstart looks to create opportunities for our students to put themselves in the deep end and begin building the confidence to speak to people they’ve never met and don’t know. People who, on paper (or LinkedIn) may
appear incredibly intimidating. By integrating our alumni community into these events and programs, the fear factor is somewhat diminished for our students because there is an obvious point for connection - by virtue of the fact that they are all part of the same community.
Not only does the presence of alumni give our current students a topic to start a conversation, it allows them to see their future selves. At its heart, that is one of the true benefits of a college experience - knowing that there is a whole community of people who have come before you and who you can learn from.
If the first year student from a small school in regional Victoria gets to chat to someone who came from a similar background about how they worked their way into an executive position in their firm, suddenly that first year student can believe that they too can aim big.
Then there is the third year student who is panicking about not knowing what they want to do when they finish their undergraduate degree. When they hear alumni talk about their ‘spaghetti careers’, their imposter syndrome or their uncertainty about where they want to be in 5-10 years time, it’s likely that same third year student will realise that professional journeys rarely follow a tidy, linear pathway Crucially, they will hopefully understand they don’t have to have all the answers at 21 years of age!
Heather Schnagl at the 2024 Sem 2 Whitby Dinner
We know that the majority of our students land in Melbourne at the start of their journey not knowing anyone and not having the early entry points to a network That’s why we are always so grateful to all those many alumni who reach out to us to give back in kind to the current generation of Hildarians That early connection for our students is transformational.
Tim Chenoweth (left) & Mikaela Prentice (centre) share early career insights as part of a Young Alumi Panel chaired by 2024 Student Club President, Patrick Ryan at a 2024 Academic Dinner
I know from my own experience as a student how valuable it was to gain early insights into a profession by connecting with people already in the field. I had the privilege of connecting with established engineers who were alumni of my college I was also lucky enough to enjoy a series of industry placements as part of my own scholarship where I gained experience with four different companies as an intern before I graduated. These early interactions and experiences not only helped me begin building my own network but it also gave me invaluable insights into what my passions were and, equally important, what I didn’t want to pursue for my future career
Obviously we know that these events and programs are hugely impactful for our students, but we also firmly believe they have value for the alumni who get involved On a purely altruistic level, it’s always a good feeling to know
you’re passing knowledge onto the next generationespecially if you were once in their shoes.
At a practical level though, we also know many of our alumni are at points in their careers where they are recruiting young people For these alumni, it’s no doubt fascinating to get an insight into what the current undergraduate student is thinking about and what influences their decisions around who they want to work for in the future.
Richard Dent hosting a Whitby Dinner in 2024 for our highest achieving students
The recent Industry Showcase event has been mentioned several times in this quarter’s newsletter. It’s just one example in a long list of existing touch points between our current students and the alumni community, but it also marks a moment in time where we are actively looking to turn up the dial in connecting our current students to those who have come before them.
We are hearing more and more from our students how much they value meeting and learning from past Hildarians. Whether it is the full College events or more targeted workshops or fireside chats relating to specific faculties, interest areas or skills, the appetite amongst our students to engage in the Hilda’s Headstart program is strong.
We are also increasingly hearing from alumni who want to be able to give back in kind to the College. This year we have seen a range of alumni involvement in this space. One example was a workshop offering practical financial literacy for students so they know
how to budget when they move into their first share house. Other alumni have come in and run mock assessment centres for our students to help them practise interview skills and prepare for the GAMSAT. We’ve had sessions on ethical decison making, public speaking skills and more.
The opportunities for growth in this area are endless and our challenge moving forward will be balancing the enthusiasm from our students and generosity of our alumni and wider community with the Hilda’s calendar.
This is a challenge that we relish though. So, if you are sitting there reading this and want to get involved in this space, please get in touch with us.
You might think students would benefit from hearing about your career journey so far. You might be looking to offer a workshop based around a specific skillset. Or you could be in the position to start a conversation about a new industry scholarship
However you want to get involved, you can help us transform the lives of the students who have followed in your footsteps!
Students listening to the Law & Policy panel at the Industry Showcase event
Christmas in July (in August)
A packed calendar inevitably means that the Student Club’s Christmas in July plans often get bumped to other months
2025 was no exception with this year’s event being dubbed Christmas in July in August .
No matter the actual month, the important thing was that Santa found his way to the Front Quad and was on hand for plenty of photo opportunities with a student community that dressed up for the occasion in all manner of adorable ensembles.
Full set of photos can be seen HERE.
Thank you to this year’s resident Santa, Jack Barthold and well done to the Fresher Reps, Ria Li and Angus Lisle
Treading the boards
After months of hard work, the St Hilda’s Theatre Group delivered a spectacular rendition of the Broadway classic, Anything Goes at The Union Theatre at the beginning of September.
Across three nights, the cast and crew performed to an appreciative audience who are still humming along to the various tunes.
It was a particular delight to see the band sharing the stage with the rest of the cast this year and our congratulations to all involved.
As has been the case over many years now, it was great to see recent alumni involved across their various capacities Thanks also to those alumn who bought tickets to watch the show
L-R: Ashna Sharma as Moonface Martin & Harper
Raverty as Reno Sweeney performing “Friendship”
Sam Kohler as Billy Crocker performing “All through the night”
The chorus performing “Bon Voyage”
Centre: Pippa Monckton as Erma performs “Buddy Beware” surrounded by some of her sailors (L-R: Charlotte Gibson, Liv Jones, Ben Rippey & Macy Francis)
The Dialog has now released their review. Not only is it well worth a read, it indicates that it wasn’t just the Hilda’s community that loved the show!
Thanks to Nathaniel Elijah for the fabulous photos taken during rehearsal.
L-R:
Georgia Shell as Hope Harcourt performing “It’s De-Lovely”
Harrison Abbott as Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, Ashna Sharma as Moonface Martin, Gemma Ashton as Ms Evangaline Harcourt and Sam Kohler as Billy Crocker
Sam Kohler as Billy Crocker & Harper Raverty as Reno Sweeney performing the Finale
Harrison Abbott as Lord Evelyn Oakleigh & Harper Raverty as Reno Sweeney performing “Poughkeepsie in Me”
James Mulcahy as Elisha Whitney
Our second V.I.P. event for members of The Communitas Society will be held in midOctober.
If you would like to have a confidential conversation with the Principal or to simply find out more about our new bequest society, please contact the Community Engagement Team at St Hilda’s College.
You can contact us via email at communitas@hildas.unimelb.edu.
au or you can call +61 3 9248 8400 and ask to speak with Kate Abraham.
Alternatively, you can visit the dedicated page on the St Hilda’s College website. Click here to learn more
Paddock to Plate
This year’s Paddock to Plate event was another resounding success, with the Student Club choosing to once again raise money for Rural Aid.
The fundraising component of this night wouldn’t exist without the support of all those individuals, families, and businesses who donate items and experiences in support of the Student Club’s efforts and the College is very grateful to everyone who got involved this year
If you would like to support the businesses/organisations who have supported this year’s Paddock to Plate, they are (in alphabetical order):
Almost $10k* in total raised by the Student Club for Rural Aid. Well done to all the team!
L-R - 2025's Charity Convenors & Communitas Director: Ruby Stringer, Verity Quilty, Ashna Sharma (Communitas Director), Beth Pooley & Julia Huang
Thank you to all our contributors
Bodriggy Brewing Co
CorePlus studios in North Melbourne
Darling Estate Wines
D.O.C
Faull’s Shoes
Fitzroy Swimming Pool (Yarra Leisure)
Gifting Owl
Global Agritrends
Global Ballooning
Grampians Olive Co
Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie & IceCreamery
iFly
In Good Spirits Distilling
Melbourne Theatre Company
Lenne’s Orchard
Mountain View Hotel - King Valley
Politini Wines
Puffing Billy
Reh Liquids
Santa & D’SAS
St Hilda’s Theatre Group
The Source Bulk Foods - Ballarat
What The Putt Yo-Chi
Our thanks as well to the Bennetts, the Miliankos-Kings, the Lancasters and to Liz Dax and Hugh Taylor for their support.
If you haven’t already seen them, the full photo album from the event can be found of the College Flickr page HERE
Our thanks to Organic Photography
The Dining Hall looked beautiful for the event with High Table decked out with all of the donations
2025 Student Club Co-President, Sharon shared what she has learned following three years living at Hilda’s
The Arts & Craft auction was a new addition to Paddock to Plate and was well received
The Hilda’s Choir were among the performers who entertained guests during canapés in the Library
Ali O’Brien was the recipient of one of the lucky door prizes
Wear it Purple
Friday August 29 saw the Student Club put on their annual Wear it Purple Day event.
This year’s weather meant that the usual arts and craft stations had to be relocated to the JCR but lots of fun was still had by all
Drag performer, Holly Pop once again entertained everyone over lunch as well as adjudicating several song and dance activities Holly Pop also facilitated the charity raffle which raised $442 for Minus18.
For several years now, Wear It Purple Day at St Hilda’s has brought together our Queer community and their allies for a day of creativity and fun with 2025 continuing that tradition. Congratulations to Ella and the team on a successful day!
Indy
was positively bouncing with excitement!
L-R: Ella Goodwin (2025 Queer Rep) & Holly Pop
We had some epic lip sync battles over lunch
Wine glass painting was just one of the arts & crafts stations for the day
Welcome & Congratulations
There has been much excitement at College over the past month or so with the arrival of Vincent Patrick Nicholson Hinman. Vincent is the son of our muchloved SRA, Richard and his wife, Toni Little Vincent’s arrival also sees some new supporter gear entering the rotation for future events!
St Hilda’s was very proud to hear recently that two of our alumni have proceeded to the finals of the prestigious Herald Sun Aria competition for emerging classical singers. A huge congratulations to Bailey Montgomerie and Breanna Stuart who have made it through the the final six.
The final will be held on Sunday October 26 at the Elisabeth Murdoch Hall. Tickets can be purchased directly from Melbourne Recital Centre th
Bailey Montgomerie
Our youngest resident
Breanna Stuart
Some people collect stamps and some collect medals for completing World Marathon Majors!
Our Admissions Manager, Rose has just added another one to her collection having completed the Berlin Marathon on September 21!
And Rose wasn’t the only Hildarian pounding the pavement in Berlin!
Recent alumn, Finlay Ekins also participated in the event in an effort to raise money for Make-A-Wish Foundation. At the time of writing this, Finlay had almost reached his fundraising target of £2,000!
We’ve heard from both parties that it got pretty hot out on the course so congratulations to both of them for battling through the conditions.
We are so proud of both Rose and Finlay for their respective achievements. What an inspiration!
Rose after collecting her medallion
Finlay during the marathon
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