Alfred Deakin Medallist Amanda, no small achiever

The newest Alfred Deakin Medallist from Deakin University's Faculty of Business and Law may think small but she achieves big time.

Amanda Graham, who ventured all the way from Griffith in NSW in 2005 to study at Deakin's Burwood campus, has deliberately chosen working for a small company over life with one of the big financial fish.

"I thought it would be a bit daunting going into a big company and you can develop a broader skill base in a smaller environment," she said. "I wanted to get lots of experience."

Since completing a Bachelor of Commerce at the end of last year, Amanda works in Mount Waverley for Tolhurst Ltd, a stockbroking and financial firm that operates eleven branches.

"I am a Para planner – a technical assistant to a financial planner," she says.

"I do all the paper work and administration involved with our client's financial investments."

During her three years at Deakin, Amanda not only achieved outstanding academic results, the now 21 year old notched up an amazing list of additional achievements.

Her involvement in the Student Village included membership of sports and social committees plus the Discipline Board. She is also a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society – an international academic honours organisation that recognises the top 15 per cent of students, plus the university's Volunteer Involvement Program.

Add her commitment to Deakin YMCA's women and mixed netball teams and the Red Cross Blood Donor Service and it is difficult to see Amanda fitting in any other commitments.

But her most memorable experiences of her Deakin days centre on her role as a 2007 Orientation Week host and her volunteer work in Africa.

"Getting out and meeting people and showing them around during O-Week was great," she says.

"I met so many young people over the whole week."

Heading to Namibia as a volunteer in the summer of 2006-7 has provided life-long memories.

"We worked in 40 degree heat building water holes for elephants," Amanda says.

"The elephants were destroying houses in their search for water so our project was aimed at creating harmony between the elephants and the locals." Amanda has crammed an amazing array of experiences into her 21 years and has no plans to curtail her level of commitment.

A Masters in Financial Planning is on her agenda, as is living and working in Europe. And her positive outlook even allows for optimism in bleak financial times.

"I recently got my accreditation for advising on stockbroking because I am learning a lot about it at work. You learn a lot more during difficult times in the market," she says. It is difficult to imagine a more worthy winner of the Alfred Deakin medal than Amanda.