University of Wollongong student Timothy Randall was recognised as the most outstanding student at the annual Enactus Conference in Sydney last week.
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Enactus Wollongong competed against 22 teams from around Australia, highlighting community projects it had been involved with during the last year.
Enactus is a not-for-profit organisation run voluntarily by university student teams around the world who are dedicated to making a difference in their local communities.
They do so by donating their time to entrepreneurial projects they develop to help people improve quality of life.
The activities must satisfy the triple bottom line of social, economic and environmental responsibility.
Initiatives must be about empowering people with the necessary skills and knowledge to help achieve a relevant goal.
One of the two Wollongong projects presented to a panel of judges from the business community was designed to help refugees gain employment by equipping them with the necessary skills of resume writing and interview preparation.
The other was a "Money Wizard" project aimed at educating school students about financial responsibilities and improving financial literacy using a board game.
Mr Randall was one of eight Enactus UOW team members to attend the conference and one of three chosen to present, along with president Mark Bowditch and vice-president Emily Kain.
They also spoke about a community garden they were seeking permission to establish on a residential campus.
"The idea is to promote healthy eating and show people how they can grow their own food," Mr Randall said.
"We may also look at community farms and schools. We are thinking about calling the project Student Growth."
Enactus UOW was ranked among the top eight teams in Australia at the competition and Mr Randall was named most outstanding student.
He will now attend the Enactus World Cup in Mexico.
"The judges go on the recommendation from each team and pick the best one. They look at what the individual has done for their team. I had no idea I was even nominated. It was a real surprise when I won."
Mr Randall was recognised for his dedicated commitment to team goals, recruitment of new members, participation in meetings and projects and his leadership abilities.
Faculty adviser Suzan Rejske will accompany him to Mexico.
"I am interested in seeing how the champion teams from around the world operate," he said.
Mr Randall, 22, is in the second year of a Bachelor of Science in Biology.