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S enior C o mmon Ro om

Alumni Jazz and
Christmas Cocktails Formalities were brief to allow for maximum enjoyment of each
other’s company. Dr Spencer- Regan spoke of the pleasure in
It was a glorious December evening as Janet Clarke Hall being able to host events again after lockdown and took the
welcomed alumni back to the College for an opportunity to opportunity to express the College’s gratitude for the generous
meet the new Principal, Dr Eleanor Spencer-Regan, and to support from alumni. Incoming Student Club President, Ayva
celebrate the end of another successful year at JCH. Jones, told her story of moving from Hamilton to study at
the University of Melbourne and finding a home at JCH. She
The garden courtyard was resplendently verdant after recent expressed her gratitude to those who have given so generously
rains, a Christmas tree brightened the Senior Common to support the scholarship which has allowed her to live in JCH.
Room, and beautiful red and white floral arrangements
adorned the Junior Common Room. The lovely sounds of We look forward to more of these delightful gatherings in 2023.
the Jennifer Salisbury Trio played in the background while
alumni, young and not-so-young, mingled with staff and Margie Welsford
swapped stories of their College days. Deputy Principal

The winners of the 2022 Arts Alumni Awards were presented completing her Juris Doctor at the University of Melbourne.
with their awards by the Dean of the Faculty of Arts (and JCH She is the CEO of Oaktree, a non-profit that supports
Council member), The Rev’d Prof. Russell Goulbourne, at a young people in the Asia-Pacific region to lead sustainable
ceremony at the State Library of Victoria in October. development initiatives in their communities. Recently,
her team pioneered a new approach to international
Thenu Herath (2016) received the ‘Rising Star Award for development that focuses on solidarity, decolonisation
Young Alumni’. and collaboration – an approach which was shared at the
Australian Council for International Development’s Annual
The prize is awarded to an individual who is 30 years of Conference (2021), alongside representatives from DFAT and
age or under and has demonstrated an outstanding level of leading development NGOs. Thenu has previously worked
professional achievement and community involvement since with World Vision and Teach for Australia. She is also a
graduating from the University of Melbourne and/or has been Global Shaper at the World Economic Forum, co-author
recognised by colleagues and peers for their outstanding of Australia’s first youth national security strategy and an
leadership and impact as a global citizen. executive team member of the Commonwealth Human Rights
and Democracy Network.
Thenu was JCH Student Club President in 2018, her third
year in the College. She graduated in 2019 and holds a In November 2022, Thenu was appointed to the Board
BA in Politics and International Studies. She is currently of Directors at the Australian Council for International
Development.

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