Where are you from and what are you currently studying, and at which institution?
I am from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and I am currently pursuing a Bachelor of Software Engineering (Honours) at UniSA, which I started in 2020.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Australia's border closures, I completed my first year of studies online before arriving in Australia to continue my education in person.
What has your timeline in Adelaide looked like?
I arrived in South Australia in December 2021 and stayed with a host family for about a year. During this time, I immersed myself in Australian culture, learning about local traditions, experiencing AFL, and picking up Australian slang like "barbie," "arvo," and "esky."
Test your Aussie slang knowledge here!
In April 2022, I joined the Vietnamese Student Society (VSS) to expand my network and make friends. Over the next year, I took on several leadership roles, including Logistics Director, Content Director, Assistant President, and Vice President while volunteering from 2022 to 2023.
Thanks to connections made through VSS, I secured my first job at Adelaide Oval in April 2023 and later started a retail position at Battery Bar in Adelaide Arcade in September 2023. Additionally, during my final semester at UniSA, I completed an internship with the Adelaide Crows in their IT department.
What motivated you to choose Adelaide over other Australian cities for your studies?
Adelaide stood out to me for several reasons. Firstly, it offers high-quality educational institutions with a supportive learning environment that matched my academic goals. Additionally, the city provides a balanced lifestyle, with a lower cost of living compared to larger Australian cities, which made it an affordable choice for my studies.
Adelaide also boasts a welcoming community and a vibrant cultural scene, providing an ideal environment for personal growth and development outside the classroom.
How did you select your course and institution, and what resources or support services have you found most helpful at your institution?
I chose the Bachelor of Software Engineering (Honours) at UniSA because of its strong reputation for practical, industry-focused education, which aligned well with my career goals in IT. UniSA’s connections with industry leaders made it a great fit for me, offering both academic depth and hands-on learning opportunities.
The support services at UniSA have been invaluable. Career Services helped me with resume building, interview preparation and networking. I also benefited greatly from academic workshops and IT support services, especially during my initial online study period due to the pandemic.
These resources ensured a smooth academic transition and helped me progress in my studies.
Describe a moment when you felt truly at home in Adelaide.
Adelaide became my second home during a simple yet special moment spent with close friends. We shared stories, laughed, and exchanged experiences, and in that moment, I realised how much this city had shaped my life. Adelaide has given me the opportunity to live, study, and work in a way that aligns with my personal values, and I’m constantly motivated by the support of my family and friends here.
If you were to take a friend on a day trip around Adelaide, where would you take them and why?
For a day trip around Adelaide, I would start at the Adelaide Central Market, a vibrant place offering fresh produce and delicious local and international foods. From there, we would head to the Adelaide Botanic Garden to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature. In the afternoon, I’d take them to Mount Lofty Summit for stunning views of the city, followed by a visit to Glenelg Beach for a sunset walk along the coast.
This itinerary offers the perfect mix of Adelaide's culture, nature, and coastal charm. Read more about exploring South Australia here
Where do you currently work, and what are your future aspirations?
I’m currently working as an IT intern at Adelaide Crows, where I contribute to key IT projects, including migrating the club’s data to a cloud-based service, specifically SharePoint. This internship has given me valuable hands-on experience, allowing me to apply my technical skills and gain insights into the daily operations of an IT department.
In the future, I aim to build a successful career in IT, expanding my expertise in areas such as system administration, network management and security practices. The experience I'm gaining at Adelaide Crows is helping shape my aspirations and is setting me up for a promising career in the IT field.