Beyond the airport pickup: what one Student Welcome Group did this year
“Think of me like your big sister in Australia.”
That's how Jane Kennedy introduced herself to the Refugee Student Settlement Pathway students she's been helping get settled into Geelong this year.
Jane is one of the core members of the Deakin University Student Welcome Group, and her words sum up what the group has become: people who are there for the students when they need them.
Four RSSP students arrived in Geelong - Victoria’s second largest city - in early 2026 to study at Deakin University’s Waurn Ponds campus.
Jane, who grew up in Geelong, was an online postgraduate student at Deakin when she signed up to be a part of the Student Welcome Group. She Co-Lead’s the Student Welcome Group alongside Isini Gamayalage, who is in her final year of nursing studies at Deakin.
Along with the other group members, Jane and Isini helped with the airport pickup and the first weeks on campus, from setting up student IDs to working out the campus buses.
But since then, the group has filled the year with the things that make a place feel like home.
These include:
An Eid dinner at Jane's house, bring-a-plate style
A day trip along the Great Ocean Road and a ferry ride to Sorrento
A trip to an AFL match in Geelong
An excursion to Melbourne
Informal driving lessons on campus
Exam care packs for each student before their first exams
Walking around Geelong’s streets to drop off CVs in person, an Australian job-hunting habit none of the students had come across before
Afternoons with Dottie, Jane's chocolate Labrador, who has won over even the students who were nervous around dogs
Next up is housing, as the students' first 12 months of Deakin accommodation comes to an end, plus more job hunting after exams.
A summer camping trip is also on the wish list. The students are keen on nature, and as Jane put it, they haven't seen enough kangaroos yet!
For Jane, being part of the Student Welcome Group has helped her feel more engaged with the university and campus life.
“I’ve spent more time on campus this year than I did the rest of my degree, and it’s been nice getting to connect more in person and with the community."
“As a Student Welcome Group co-lead, I’ve loved watching Uaesia, Khulud, Umar and Sandra settle into life in Australia. They each have such distinct personalities, interests, and experiences, and it’s been an absolute joy getting to know them. What started as offering practical support has become genuine friendship, not only with the RSSP students but with the other volunteers too. ”
More students will arrive through the RSSP next year, and Student Welcome Groups will be there to meet them.
Want to be part of it? Join a Student Welcome Group.
