James Brownstein

On the evening of Thursday 3rd September, students and corporate representatives gathered in the University of Melbourne's Copland Theatre for the inaugural Corporate Social Awareness Function, hosted by the Extra-Curricular Network Australia (ECNA). ECNA is a student-led organisation that provides a centralised forum for students wishing to pursue extra-curricular opportunities. The purpose of this function was to inspire students to become more involved in their communities, and the four keynote speakers aimed to do so by demonstrating how they were driving social change in their respective fields. The speakers were 2009 Young Victorian of the Year Thom Woodroofe, founding partner of the Boston Consulting Group Australia Colin Carter, pro-bono partner of law firm Clayton Utz, and notably, our own SIFE President, Richmond Glasgow.

Richmond is a sixth-year Engineering/Commerce student currently completing his Honours year in Economics. As President of the University of Melbourne SIFE, he leads a team of 65 dedicated students working on four outreach projects which create social and economic opportunities for disadvantaged groups. Richmond reflected on the choices that define peoples’ paths in life. Deriving lessons from his own personal experience, Richmond spoke about his own path, and how his strong desire to serve his community ultimately led him to SIFE. He highlighted the importance of finding inspiration through active engagement with the community on a grass-roots level. This inspiration becomes a major focus of your life, and drives you to success in everything that you do.

In a message that was shared by all four speakers, Richmond urged the audience to find a cause that resonated with them, and to harness their potential to make a difference in that area.

Richmond's presentation, as well as those of the other three keynote speakers, can be viewed online here.

For further information about ECNA, visit http://www.ecna.com.au