It is important to highlight the educators that have been with their students throughout their course. As we approach the end of 2022 and the graduation ceremony, just as we’ve celebrated our completing students, we are recognising the key role in teaching, guiding and supporting that our educators play.
RMIT encourages students to not only see their tutors as educators but to see them as people with experience in the industry that can offer their expertise.
Whether it is for a capstone, career advice or a general check-in, educators provide so much support throughout a student’s time at university. The impact they have made on graduating students is unique and it is reflected by what students shared with us below.
Which educator positively impacted your RMIT experience, and supported your journey towards graduation?
John Dingeldei - Advertising Industry Professional at Orangehammer & RMIT
"We just had fun in the online classes! He was really chill but made the online classes interesting when everything was not interesting. John has been our mentor throughout the whole Hungry Talks (Third year advertising capstone). He runs the advertising capstone pitch night and Hungry Talks team and he is just so great at doing that. John is really amazing and caring and you know he will push you to do your best all the time." - Asha Gilbee-Giudici, Bachelor of Communications (Advertising).
Dr Gail Iles - Senior Lecturer, STEM College
"I found Dr Gail Iles to be incredibly helpful for me and other students throughout the degree. She provided many opportunities for us to expand our learning through extracurricular activities such as volunteering or opportunities to work with industry. Seeing a female in the space industry was a key motivator to me applying for the degree in the first place. Having her as a role model who wants you to succeed is key to enjoying your experience at university."
"We worked closely with masters and PhD students as teaching assistants in our subjects throughout the degree. This was incredibly beneficial as it allowed for me to converse with students who have more experience and understand their perspective on the projects completed throughout the degree, largely in rocket science or microgravity science." - Hayley Nitschke, Bachelor of Space Science.
Bonny Cassidy - Senior Lecturer, Design and Social Context and Brigid Magner - Senior Lecturer, Design and Social Context
"I don't think this program would be anywhere near the level it is without teachers like Bonny Cassidy. Brigid Magner was also one of the most crucial components that made this course so enjoyable. The inclusive and entertaining nature that Brigid curates her classes with is second to none. The fact that I stayed in this program after a semester of online classes during lockdown could be largely due to the delivery of education in these circumstances by her."
"I love that the educators made the students feel comfortable enough to ask questions and not be afraid to speak up in class. This opens the space for everyone to learn is what made this course so great." - Gerard Starling, Bachelor of Art (Creative Writing).
Dellwyn Apted - VE Teacher, Vocational Education
"We didn’t meet Dell until the second half of our program and she quickly became our favourite educator. Some of the things that really stood out about the value she brought us was it was clear she wanted to help us succeed, she was immensely patient and worked through issues we were facing and ideas we wanted to bounce off her."
"She is very connected to the industry, sharing real-life experiences and expectations as an interior designer, and was a key driver in spearheading the excursions and hands-on learning opportunities that I enjoyed the most. Finally, she offered herself as a reference for future employment, an offer I took her up on, which has now led to employment in the industry."- Renee Hill, Certificate IV Interior Decoration.
Peter Knight – Tutor, School of Architecture and Design
"Peter Knight was my supervisor for my last major project with the RMIT Architecture program. His advice to me was to make slow progress every day and not crumble up in one day. I think about this all the time and I know it will assist me in my career." - Calvin Fernando, Master of Architecture.
Thank you again to our educators for making such an impact on our graduating students.
