UOW Momentum program awards participants

Oct 25, 2006

The Momentum Mentor Program held its annual awards ceremony recently to congratulate participants and celebrate another successful year.

The Momentum program was launched in 2005 by the Wollongong Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA) and the Wollongong University Postgraduate Association (WUPA). It was designed to help create a smoother transition for international students arriving in Australia and being immersed in university culture.

The program provides mentors to help guide and assist the students for the first few weeks of session and is funded by the Vice-Principal (Overseas Operations), Mr Jim Langridge, WUSA and WUPA.

Momentum mentors and mentees attended the awards ceremony where participants were presented with certificates and gifts.

Invited guests represented the Momentum Steering Committee and all relevant areas of UOW, highlighting the strong collaboration that exists between UOW and its student bodies.

Mentors were thanked for being proactive in helping international students adjust to University life and were congratulated for developing cross-cultural empathy and awareness skills.

Mentees discussed what they had gained from the program this session and said they thought the program should continue to be supported as it was a great benefit to international students and rewarding for all involved.

“We find it especially rewarding to receive positive feedback from international students,” said Momentum Program Co-ordinator, Ekaterina Pechenkina.

“We are proud to be one of the resources on campus that provides international students with free services, support and activities.”