Project Lead/MC at NPOs
Vietnamese Cultural Night at The Couch
In addition to my experience as a Student Leader in multiple engagements at university, I also proudly get involved in the role of a Team Leader and Master of Ceremonies (MC) in various non-profit projects in both Melbourne and Geelong. My first endeavour as an MC was within the Vietnamese Cultural Night at The Couch International Student Centre in Melbourne CBD.
Stacy Doan and Cece Nguyen as Co-Hosts of Vietnamese Cultural Night at
The Couch International Student Centre
Vietnamese Cultural Night was the very first event celebrating Vietnamese Lunar New Year in the long history of operation at The Couch. As a Team Leader and a Co-Host of this very special night, I led the participants to savour the beauty of Vietnamese destinations, cuisine, traditions, fashion, dance and music. Using the elements of my leadership including self-confidence, public speaking and problem-solving capacity, along with the team I was also able to bring the breath of Vietnamese culture for 180+ event participants to experience.
From a small core team of only 4 students from 3 distinguished universities, I rallied support from 30+ student volunteers and international education leaders by extending my collaboration with the volunteering team at The Salvation Army Melbourne, organising a casting call to recruit volunteer models for our fashion show, and liaising with international student representatives from City of Melbourne. Leading the Melbourne-based team when I was located in Geelong was a massive challenge. However with the strong leadership abilities, I was able to seamlessly lead the consistent communication within my team through virtual means of social media, ensuring every task was allocated and completed as aligned with the timeline.
Stacy Doan hosting Vietnamese Fashion Show
- a segment of Vietnamese Cultural Night
Stacy Doan and her team at The Couch
with the Councillor of City of Melbourne - Davydd Griffiths
The resounding success of Vietnamese Cultural Night helped me recognise that with the activation of my leadership, I will be able to achieve meaningful community-driven purposes, one of which is the enhancement of cultural diversity for the international student community which has been one of my focuses as a student leader.
Stacy Doan and her team at The Couch
with the Councillor of City of Melbourne - Davydd Griffiths, International Student Coordinators at City of Melbourne - Gary Lee and Mary Mai, and The Couch Coordinator - Riyadh Almalki
Deakin Fusion Festivals at Deakin University
Understanding the importance of promoting cultural inclusion in a university environment, I put my efforts into helping build Deakin Fusion Festival at both Waterfront and Waurn Ponds campuses where we aimed to enhance the values of diversity, respect, inclusiveness, connectedness, and sense of belonging that bring together all students from different backgrounds.
Stacy Doan and her Co-Host - Sarbjeet Singh
at Deakin Fusion Festival - Waurn Ponds Campus
Stacy Doan hosting Deakin Fusion Festival at Waterfront campus
Since the original idea of Deakin Fusion Festival is to enrich the cultural diversity present in Deakin student communities, in my role as an MC and a Music Performer presenting about cultural awareness, showcasing the beauty of my own traditional costume and bringing the Vietnamese melody to Deakin student network, I strived to send a message to the audience to take pride in their unique cultural origins.
My role in the Deakin Fusion Festival enabled me to understand that leadership is not solely defined in the abilities to spearhead the team-based work for a mutual cause. In fact, it can also be exemplified in my MC lead during a community-driven event. With a microphone in my hand, I consider myself as a leader guiding the group of audience, seamlessly integrating my public speaking engagements and empowering them to embrace their cultural values and preserve their cultural heritage.
Deakin Fusion Festival also provided me with a great opportunity to elevate my facilitation skill - I came to learn how to navigate and capitalise on unforeseen changes, as well as how to incorporate light-hearted humour to bring a smile to the audience’s faces. These techniques I acquired as an MC significantly informed my leadership as adaptability and humour are important characteristics that an excellent leader should embody.
Stacy Doan and Sarbjeet Singh
hosting Deakin Fusion Festival at Waurn Ponds Campus
Cultural Exchange Night at The Lounge
Up until this point, I already knew that I had a genuine passion in facilitating an event in the role of an MC and in addressing the cultural matters for international student communities. I made a promise to myself that I would try my utmost to fulfil this passion when an opportunity emerged. When the Cultural Exchange Night was first planned at The Lounge International Student Centre, I knew that I needed to step up and take the lead.
Stacy Doan hosting Cultural Exchange Night at The Lounge
Cultural Exchange Night was held at the second opening of The Lounge and it was one of the most successful nights since our operation. We proudly welcomed student cohorts from 15+ countries studying in Geelong and surrounding, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Kenya, Mauritius, Nepal, India, Vietnam and many more - as the first international student hub in regional Victoria in operation for one week leading up to the event, the success of Cultural Exchange Night led by my contribution as an MC and a core ambassador encouraged us to keep working hard to unify our international students.
From driving my team as a dedicated student ambassador at The Lounge through uncertainty as a newly founded project to leading the student ambassador team for the Cultural Exchange Night helping enhance students’ sense of belonging, I understood that I was on the right track as a student leader to make regional Victoria a better place for international students.
Participants and Lounge Ambassadors at Cultural Exchange Night
Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival at The Lounge
On the very first opening of The Lounge, our Program Manager, Lounge Ambassadors and I already discussed hosting the special celebration of Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival for our international student community in Geelong. It had been 3 months since our first opening before we were finally approaching the day to make the Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival come true.
Selected as one of the biggest events of the year at The Lounge where special guests anchoring leadership positions from Study Melbourne, City of Greater Geelong and Deakin University were invited, Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival was thoroughly organised to represent the vibrant spirit and meaningful sense of purpose of The Lounge initiatives. With cultural activations including lantern-crafting, flavourful and diverse Vietnamese dinner and desserts, piano presentation coupled with singing and dancing performances featuring the beauty of Vietnamese songs, Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival was recognised as one of the most successful student-centred events of the year in regional Victoria, promoting not only the Vietnamese traditions, geography, cuisine, music and dance but also the cultural diversity and inclusiveness.
Although I was humble to be the mastermind behind the initiative, I was also proud that my leadership was put into great use strengthening the sense of belonging and connection between international student cohorts. From taking charge of anchoring the MC role, preparing and arranging the content of the event, to negotiating for sponsorship and catering, managing external relations between various stakeholders and bringing ideas for decorations, I was able to foster my leadership by directing a group of 30+ Lounge Ambassadors and Volunteers to pull the event together for 120+ participants at our event night.
Stacy Doan during her lead as an MC and her singing performance at Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival
Stacy Doan and Sarbjeet Singh as Co-Hosts of Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival
Such an official Vietnamese cultural event had not been organised in Geelong CBD before, and it was an absolute honour for me to represent The Lounge to make that pioneering effort. In hindsight, I am now able to connect the dots and see my leadership journey from a bigger picture: my leadership has always been driven by my desire to bring everyone together, enhancing the sense of equality, solidarity and inclusion. I am also glad that with this meaningful vision as a leader, I have been fortunate enough to summon many wonderful people coming together as a team to make successful endeavours.
Stacy Doan and Sarbjeet Singh introducing about the geography of Vietnam
through the piano presentation at Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival
Stacy Doan showcasing her traditional costume with participants in the Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival
Deakin Indian Independence Day Celebration
On the very next day after the celebration of Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival at The Lounge, I continued dedicating my time in the role of an MC at the Deakin Indian Independence Day celebrating the historic milestone of India in the heart of Waurn Ponds campus. It was a significant day to commemorate the spirit and sacrifice of the freedom fighters who fought for the independence of the nation.
By taking charge of an MC role for this special occasion, I was humbly able to remind the Indian student communities of their cultural heritage and the remarkable history that have been rooted in their veins, enhancing their sense of connection and belonging so that every student from India will always feel like home when they set foot on campus. By celebrating this very special occasion at Deakin Waurn Ponds, our goal is also to welcome all of our Deakin students who are from the rest of the world to understand more about Indian cultural beauty and get inspired to showcase their own national identity.
Stacy Doan as an MC for Deakin Indian Independence Day Celebration at Deakin Waurn Ponds
One of the important elements for leadership is the ability to step up and take on new challenges, championing the mission of uniting diverse populations within the community. Therefore, I trust that by embracing the challenges of hosting an Indian celebration when I was not originally from India, I was able to showcase my leadership capacity, proving to Deakin students that regardless of our cultural backgrounds, we were always a part of the larger global community, and that a cultural event for a particular nation can also be for everyone to celebrate.
Juggling preparations for both events on two consecutive days was no easy task, yet I am grateful that I had a wonderful team behind who worked diligently under my leadership to make both events possible for Vietnamese and Indian student communities in Geelong.
Stacy Doan as an MC explaining the meaning of
Deakin Indian Independence Day Celebration