Ellen Jiang has contributed significantly across student health and wellbeing initiatives at UNSW.
International student Ellen Jiang made the most of her time at UNSW through volunteer work with student organisations. Now she’s taking that experience into life beyond university as a new graduate.
During her time at UNSW, Ellen held numerous roles, including 2024 President of the Chinese Student Association (UNSWCSA) and current NSW CSA President.
“I like the number of extracurricular activities available. The connections with staff and faculty make this more than a university. It’s a community,” she said.
Ellen used that sense of community as a launching pad, joining the UNSWCSA, organising more than 70 events and turning them into professional development opportunities for 200 sub-committee members.
Ellen’s efforts earnt her the Arc Club of the Year Award and the 2024 Culture Award. These accolades helped Ellen stand out in a competitive market as a medical student when she was looking for an internship.
From campus leader to community impact
Ellen's active approach at university was strategic. She intentionally created meaningful experiences for others while building transferable skills for her own future.
Through UNSW’s industry partnerships, she landed an internship with leading health insurance company Medibank as a Health Partnership Support Officer.
Her experience organising campus events and coordinating 200 sub-committee members gave her valuable stakeholder management and planning skills. These help her when facilitating webinars for international students about Australia's healthcare system.
NSW International Education Award winner
Ellen’s influence now extends beyond UNSW. As a representative for international students with the New South Wales Chinese Student Association, she supports fellow international students from universities across NSW.
In this role, Ellen engages in conversation with government stakeholders, including Randwick City Council and Population Health, about the cost of living and mental health needs of Chinese students.
Ellen recently won the award for International Student of the Year – Higher Education at the 2025 NSW International Education Awards.
Her journey is a great example of how important the student experience can be for success beyond university.
“Don’t rely solely on academic achievement,” Ellen advises other students.
“Start engaging in society events and anything you are interested in because that gives you connections with people, and people bring you opportunities. I’ve made a lot of friends from my home country, and these experiences opened doors to job and research opportunities.”
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