Students take on the challenge to change the world
A group of 17 University of Sydney students have been selected to take part in a semester long leadership program designed to support the UN Sustainable Development goals.
From a diverse range of backgrounds and disciplines, they’re keen to inspire others to get involved and make a difference. Read about some of the big projects our 2019 Millennium Fellows are taking on.
Caroline Song
Second year Bachelor of Engineering (Biomedical)/Bachelor of Science (Medical Science)
Caroline is the the event manager of the University of Sydney (USYD) Women Department. In her role she’s building a greater sense of community within the University’s cohort of women, which is more than 55% of enrolled undergraduate students!
Her project involves the provision of free sanitary items in the SRC office, running entrepreneurship and mentoring panel events, organising women’s events and social lunches and working with sexual harassment officers on tackling the issue of sexual assault and harassment on campus.
"Through the Millennium Fellowship, I got the chance to work with like-minded individuals who are passionate about changing the world, one person at a time."
Isabella Wiggs
Fifth year Bachelor of Commerce/ Arts (Marketing, English, Philosophy)
Isabella’s big vision is to make the University of Sydney a completely single use plastic free campus. Isabella aims to implement change in stages, such as banning disposable coffee cups, plastic cutlery and containers, and stocking products that are not packaged in plastic.
Her goal is that the University will set the example to foster city-wide change across Sydney and provide graduates with a mentality around sustainability that they will take with them to their future workplaces and beyond.
“I plan on pursuing a career in social impact after graduating, so was very excited about the training I could receive as a Millennium Fellow, particularly at this stage of my degree. Given the climate crisis is my particular area of interest, the fellowship seemed to offer the perfect support system for developing a project in line with these goals at Sydney Uni.”
Sonya Elciboga
First year Bachelor of Nursing (Advanced Studies)
Sonya is currently studying nursing, with the intention to focus on health literacy, nutrition, education and wellbeing.
Her Millennium project involves working with indigenous children to encourage health literacy – improving awareness and understanding of health information and available healthcare services.
“An important aspect of training to become a nurse is being able to communicate with the unique individual and with your community, to ensure that each unique patient has the best understanding of their health-related concerns.”
Jesse Peng
Second year Bachelor of Commerce (Management and Finance)
Jesse is a Business student who recently joined the Fred Hollows Foundation, a non-profit organisation focused on helping vision-impaired individuals who don’t have access to quality and affordable eye health.
The Fred Hollows Foundation offers free ophthalmic surgery to those in need, provides training for local practitioners, and conducts research on eye diseases and emerging treatments to restore sight to as many people as possible.
“While we hope our projects receive positive feedback, what we want most of all is to involve and influence more young people with empathy and inclusion to work with the UN Sustainable Development goals and make a positive influence.”
