“My friends tell me I have grandma hobbies,” says Su Htun (known to her friends as Emily). “I love crochet and embroidery and very artsy stuff that’s really different to what I’m studying. I’ve crocheted tote bags, scarves, and little toys like plushies. I do embroideries on scarves too and I’m really into sewing.”
Now in the third year of Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) at UTS, Emily chose her career path at an early age. “When I was little, my parents took me on an overseas trip to Thailand where there were many more complex and beautiful structures than in my home country, Myanmar. I remember the first time I saw them I wondered how they were built. What was the construction process behind them,” she says.
Transition from high school to studying abroad
Emily had always wanted to study abroad when she was growing up in Yangon. “My parents wanted me to chase that dream too,” she says, “so after I finished Year-12, we started looking at universities. That’s when a family friend recommended UTS. Their son had studied civil engineering there. Then we heard about UTS College and thought it would be easier for me to settle in there before going to UTS. It looked like a better transition.”
That decision worked beautifully for Emily. She says, “The classes were smaller, and we had the same classmates across all our subjects. It was easy to make friends and keep a friend group because all had the same timetable. I still have those very close friends from UTS College. We still go out and reminisce about our times from those days.”
Joining the red t-shirt crew
During Orientation Week, she also saw a group of friendly, helpful students with bright red t-shirts. “At first, I didn’t know what a student ambassador was,” she says. “The first ambassadors I met were Chris and Souad.”
Later, Emily saw on Instagram that the College was hiring new ambassadors. “I honestly didn’t have high hopes, but I applied. I was really very surprised when I got a call back for an interview,” she says. “And even though it was my very first interview, it wasn’t intimidating at all. I enjoyed the experience and I was so happy when I found out they’d selected me.”
Emily loved everything about the role. “Of all the jobs I’ve worked until now, being a student ambassador fits my personality best, I think. I love to socialise and talk with people. My favourite things were events like Welcome Week and UTS Open Day where I’d get to meet new future students and their parents. I loved that part of the job most,” she says. “It made such a difference to my presentation skills and public speaking. I was even invited to be on a student panel a couple of times. It helped my confidence, my people skills – a lot of the soft skills you need in the workplace these days.”
From Peer Helper to Peer Mentor
Helping other students is important to Emily and she is now a Peer Mentor, another role that began at UTS College. She says, “I was actually a Peer Helper first, assisting the teacher during classes. One of the physical modelling teachers in my course (Diploma of Engineering) asked me. He’s an extraordinary teacher. I was interested in buildings and stuff, but I wasn’t a big fan of physics. I was more into maths, but he’s the kind of teacher who explains things in a way that makes them interesting – even if you hate physics. After a semester with him, I loved the subject and I got a great mark. That’s when he offered me the role of Peer Helper, which I did for a year. Then I worked at the Student Centre for a while. My manager there asked me if I’d like to be a Peer Mentor, and I’m still working there.”
Although she’s now thriving at UTS, Emily says it’s quite a different environment from the College. “You meet so many new people at uni,” she says. “They’re all from different backgrounds, doing different majors and all kinds of different projects. It’s just amazing to hear about so many new things.”
The power of persistence
Even with her ‘grandma hobbies’ to relieve the stress, Emily has a hectic schedule of study and work. She says her parents have inspired her to persist, even during challenging times. She says, “I see how hard they have worked so I can go after my dreams. When I look back on what they’ve done for me, I get motivation. I have a strong sense of mind to give back more than they’ve given me. And I keep pushing. It costs nothing to try. Like my dad says, ‘Just keep pushing and see what happens.”
To Emily, this advice is especially important for students considering studying abroad. “I’d say the main thing is to believe in yourself. Sometimes you think you can’t do it, but you’re stronger than you think. You can make it happen. I had times when many things seemed out of my reach. But, in the end, what you think is impossible becomes true.”
Find out more about the Student Ambassador Program.