QUT PhD business student Thamer Baazeem is the first contact for Saudi Arabia students when they need support at QUT.
He has been assisting his compatriots to settle into university life almost from the time he himself started at QUT when he co-founded the Saudi Students Association in 2008 and was elected its vice president in 2009.
Mr Baazeem's volunteer efforts have been recognised with the Sustained Contribution to QUT community award, one of three Volunteer of the Year awards to honour students who have contributed to QUT campus life.
Not only has Mr Baazeem been active in student affairs he has also assisted with Brisbane's hosting of the Saudi delegation to the G20 last year having been nominated by the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia.
"My task was to help organise the stay of His Majesty King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, the King of Saudi Arabia and yes, I met the king," he said.
As president of the 1500-member Saudi Student Association in Brisbane in 2013, Mr Baazeem was involved with his committee in organising and managing more than 100 activities including numerous workshops ranging from photography to English writing, the farewell ceremony for Saudi graduates, soccer tournaments and the marking of the Eid festival.
Each year he has helped QUT's Muslim Students Association organise the Ramadhan Dinner for all QUT students and staff.
Mr Baazeem also volunteered as a business and marketing consultant for Brisbane social enterprises such as Resonate and Joining Hands.
Individual Volunteer of the Year awards went to Jaysee Sunapho and Kristy Winter, while the Volunteer of the Year Group awards were shared by the QUT Electrical Engineering Student Society and QUT Running.
Ms Sunapho was vice president of QUT Thai Society (TSC) where she helped the club professionalise their sponsorship and marketing approaches. She coordinated the Australian Human Resources Institute Student Ambassador program at QUT and supported a successful first AHRI event in March this year to ensure human resources students connected with the AHRI community.
When Ms Sunapho was president of the Business and Management Student Association she steered the club in new directions and attracted external sponsorship from industry.
Kristy Winter is a fourth-year biomedical science student who is an active member in the QUT Connect and Campus Life programs which are designed to offer opportunities for students to get the most out of university life.
As a peer learning advisor with the STIMulate program, which supports students studying maths, science and IT, Kristy contributed more than 200 hours helping fellow students. She is currently helping to establish the Anatomy Peer Learning Support Program.
The Electrical Engineers Student Society hit the headlines this year when their high-tech weather monitoring Stratosphere Balloon was launched into the stratosphere. Although founded only in mid-2013, the club has gone from strength to strength including not only social events but a focus on the development and implementation of skill-based projects.
The Stratosphere Balloon project is typical of members' application of their learning to technical projects designed to engage QUT students and the wider public.
Many EESS members are also STEM ambassadors involved in outreach programs to local high schools to help get young people interested in studying the STEM disciplines through fun and engaging projects.
QUT Running received a group award for offering a social and fitness activities that cater to the needs of all QUT students who want to improve their run techniques or endurance, or simply want to increase their overall health, fitness and well-being.
The club organises five weekly running sessions across the two city campuses, each drawing large numbers of students. Levels range from walking sessions to competitive runners and elite athletes.
As a social club, QUT Running also hosts a number of fun (non-running related) events throughout the year, giving students the chance to make new friends and generally contribute to an active and vibrant campus.
The annual awards acknowledge the leadership and contribution of QUT students in building a vibrant and connected campus community through their efforts as volunteers.
Media contact: Niki Widdowson, QUT media, 07 3138 2999 or n.widdowson@qut.edu.au.
