At the beginning of 2021, I saw an advertisement on the Griffith Mates social media accounts to become a Mayor’s Student Ambassador (MSA) with Study Gold Coast.
At first, I wasn’t thinking of applying, but then I decided to take my chances and apply. I must say, I don’t regret that decision as it showed me the Gold Coast from a different perspective, and I met the most incredible people. But let’s take it from the beginning.
It all started in January 2021, when I decided to share my journey through social media. This was also one of the main reasons why I eventually submitted my application for the MSA program. The application process involved submitting a video on the ‘day in a student life’ topic. (I can provide my original video for future reference if anyone is interested, but I’m warning you, it is not my best work!)
After I submitted my application, I received an invitation for the second round of applications. What I can say is that the second round was nothing that I expected. They separated us into a few groups, and our task was to record a video about inviting people to study on the Gold Coast. We were given a targeted country, a movie quote, and a banana. Yes, you are reading correctly! They gave us a banana to show in the video. The reason was because the company that was helping Study Gold Coast with the second round of applicants was called Banana Life. After this task, 16 students, myself included, were invited to become a 2021 Mayor’s Student Ambassador.
Fast forward a few weeks, and it was time for our official induction ceremony with the Gold Coast Mayor, Tom Tate. It was my first time in the Council Chambers, and I must say, it’s an incredible building. Even though our ceremony was held in the hallway and not in the main room, (the main room was under construction), it was a lovely afternoon. One-by-one, we walked to the stage to receive our official certification and a photo with the Gold Coast Mayor and the CEO of Study Gold Coast. After the ceremony, we had a chance to talk with some of the school delegates and other people involved.