{"id":1885,"date":"2026-03-18T11:07:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T00:07:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/educateplus-nsw-act\/?post_type=article&p=1885"},"modified":"2026-03-21T15:50:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T04:50:15","slug":"lets-meet-a-chapter-member-4","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/educateplus-nsw-act\/article\/lets-meet-a-chapter-member-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Let’s Meet Another (!) Chapter Member …"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Each eNews, we introduce you to some of our wonderful Chapter Members, through a question-and-answer type interview article.<\/strong><\/h5>\n

This week the second Member in the hotseat is:\u00a0 Amelia Zaraftis<\/a>, Director of Advancement, Burgmann College, ACT<\/strong><\/p>\n

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When and where did your career in education begin?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0
\n<\/span>Throughout my primary and secondary schooling, I enjoyed tutoring my peers and learning how other people formed knowledge. I have always delighted in teaching; establishing a shared understanding, then witnessing the \u2018ah-ha\u2019 moment. While I trained as a Primary School teacher, my first specialist teaching role was teaching weekend visual arts classes for children and teens at the ANU, closely followed by my first \u2018proper job\u2019 as a museum and gallery educator at Canberra Museum and Gallery. Education, equity and community are the common threads of my career. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What interests you most in terms of your role?
\n<\/span><\/b>The remarkable strength and power of community. I am interested in the transformative experience our residents have at college, and equally, in the broader intergenerational community of our Alumni and friends. I think being part of a healthy community supports people on their pathway to self-knowledge. Our Alumni often reflect on their time at Burgmann as a place where they felt truly cared for, where mistakes were made and challenges were overcome with the support of others, and where lifelong friendships were formed. What a gift this experience is alongside a university education and as one transitions to adulthood. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?
\n<\/span><\/b>As a first-in-family university graduate, I\u00a0was supported by a\u00a0National Undergraduate Scholarship to attend\u00a0ANU.\u00a0I find it incredibly rewarding to work to\u00a0strengthen\u00a0our\u00a0scholarships\u00a0program.\u00a0Together, we are opening doors for students who may otherwise\u00a0miss out on\u00a0the transformative opportunity to live\u00a0as part of a\u00a0vibrant\u00a0residential community\u00a0and access a university education.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What do you love most about your role?
\n<\/span><\/b>People, people, people! My role affords me the privilege to engage and work closely with so many\u00a0inspiring\u00a0people. I love getting to know people,\u00a0hearing\u00a0about\u00a0their stories\u00a0and aspirations, and working together to make a positive difference\u00a0in the world.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What are you currently doing that would interest other members in educate+?<\/span><\/b>
\nI have the great honour to work as a co-facilitator of the Sharing Stories Arts Exchange (SSAE) program at the ANU School of Art & Design. SSAE is a creative participatory project focused on building positive reciprocal relationships between members of the Canberra community and local regional Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.\u202fEach year, our program participants engage in structured creative field programs visiting communities and culturally significant sites on Country and are invited to share in truth-listening and truth-telling as they meet and gain understanding from First Nations knowledge holders and community members.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For anyone embarking on a role in Advancement what advice would you give them?
\n<\/span><\/b>Jump on in!\u00a0You\u2019ll\u00a0be joining a wonderful community of practitioners who generously share their knowledge and experience. It\u00a0is incredibly rewarding work.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s a surprising skill or hobby you have that colleagues might not expect?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0
\n<\/span>I love to sing! A few years ago, we formed a staff band \u2018The Fun Police\u2019 with colleagues across student residences on ANU campus and we were the warm-up act for the interhall \u201cBig Night Out\u201d student battle-of-the-bands competition. There was some serious musical talent amongst my colleagues, and the highlight for me was singing Aretha Franklin\u2019s RESPECT on an outdoor stage on University Avenue.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What motivated you to join the NSW\/ACT Chapter Committee?
\n<\/span><\/b>So many things! Foremost, it is the professional, respectful, and welcoming culture of the organisation. What a lovely bunch of people! When I first started out in Advancement, I was provided with so much support and encouragement from other members of educate+.<\/strong> I\u2019ve since had the pleasure of contributing to the Residential Colleges Conversations online program, and I see joining the Committee as an extension of that opportunity to collaborate with great people and to give back. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Thank you Amelia… it’s been wonderful getting to know you!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 Each eNews, we introduce you to some of our wonderful Chapter Members, through a question-and-answer type interview article. This week the second Member in the hotseat is:\u00a0 Amelia Zaraftis, Director of Advancement, Burgmann College, ACT     When and where did your career in education begin?\u00a0 Throughout my primary and secondary schooling, I enjoyed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1544,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","class_list":["post-1885","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/educateplus-nsw-act\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/1885","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/educateplus-nsw-act\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/educateplus-nsw-act\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/article"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/educateplus-nsw-act\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1885"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/educateplus-nsw-act\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1544"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/educateplus-nsw-act\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}