Helen Nicholls-Stary

Hello everyone. My name is Helen and I'm the International Student Adviser at the Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus.

Working in international education for 13 years, I continue to enjoy meeting new international students. I continue to learn about different cultures and I am interested in the topics the students are studying.

I have travelled extensively through Africa, Asia and Europe and truly believe that my travel experience, along with working overseas, has enabled me to gain a deeper understanding the difficulties students face in adapting to a new culture. This firsthand experience gives me the knowledge to guide and support international students when they arrive in Australia and commence their studies at Deakin.

The smaller community of international students on the Geelong Waurn Ponds campus enables the jme to get to know as many students as possible and to celebrate their academic, personal and professional achievements.

I am a member of the Multi-Cultural Action Plan Committee for the City of Greater Geelong, where I represent the International Student studying in Geelong.  With many links to the Geelong community, I am keen to encourage and facilitate international students to engage with Deakin’s local communities.