Celebrating excellence in student voice practice across Australasia.
The annual Student Voice Australasia Student Voice Awards recognise students, staff and institutions that are leading the way in embedding student voice, agency, and partnership into all levels of institutional decision making.
Awards will be presented at the 2026 Student Voice Symposium at the University of Canberra on Thursday 8 October.
2026 Finalists
Congratulations to our 2026 Student Voice Award Finalists. Drop down below to read more about their amazing nominations.
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Aaron Saint-James is advancing disability inclusion through student-led research, policy advocacy and innovation. Drawing on lived experience, he embeds student voice in institutional and sector change, from co-founding UNSW’s neurodiversity collective Diversified to leading a national audit of UDL 3.0 implementation. He is also developing Simplifii, a neuroinclusive learning platform for higher education.
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Dinithi Kadupitiya founded the Sri Lankan Society at LaTrobe, growing it into a thriving student community that promotes belonging, leadership, and connection. Through mentoring, advocacy, student employment initiatives, and teaching, she has created opportunities for students to lead, develop confidence, and shape their university experience.
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Gemma Lucy Smart has championed disability and postgraduate student representation across university, government, and national sectors. Through policy advocacy, accessible event design, and leadership of Australia’s peak postgraduate body, she has ensured student expertise drives meaningful reform and strengthens inclusion for underrepresented students.
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Jennifer is a disability advocate and Co-Chair of the Student with Disabilities Leadership Collective. Through leadership roles, government submissions, and sector-wide advocacy, Jennifer has influenced policy reform, improved campus accessibility, strengthened support for neurodivergent students, and elevated the voices of students with disability across Australian higher education.
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Josh McKeiver has used his lived experience as an autistic mature-age student to strengthen student voice at UniSQ. As Student Senate member, University Council representative, and mentor, he empowers fellow students to lead change, improve inclusion, and actively shape university decision-making.
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Curtin University’s Student Feedback Hub embeds student voice into everyday decision-making through student-led consultations, pop-up feedback activities, and digital engagement. Employing students as co-designers and facilitators, the initiative has engaged thousands of students and directly informed improvements to services, wellbeing, communications, and strategic planning.
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The Lounge International Student Centre empowers international students as active partners in shaping programs, services, and community initiatives. Through shared leadership, continuous feedback, and strong regional partnerships, the Centre has created a highly inclusive model that strengthens belonging, wellbeing, and student influence across regional Victoria.
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As Student Partnerships Officer at UniSC, Ciara Hablado champions student leadership through the Students as Partners program. She creates meaningful opportunities for students to influence university decisions, develop employability skills, and grow as leaders while fostering a supportive, inclusive community where students feel valued and empowered.
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Dr Maria Ishkova has transformed students from participants into co-designers of the Human Capability Record project. Through authentic partnerships with industry and higher education leaders, she has empowered students to shape sector-wide innovation while developing leadership, communication, and real-world change-making capabilities.
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Nina Sorley leads impactful Students as Partners initiatives at UniSQ, including student-led roundtables, project partnerships, leadership development opportunities, and student governance initiatives. Her work empowers students to influence institutional decisions, build confidence, and develop the skills needed to become effective leaders and advocates within their communities.
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Olivia Tunks transformed the Business School Lead Mentor Program into a student-led leadership initiative. By embedding student voice into program design and professional development, she has created an inclusive environment where students shape their learning experience, build employability skills, and strengthen community belonging.
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From February to July 2026, The Human Capability Record partnership brought more than 90 students together with staff, industry and Higher Education sector leaders to co-design a learner-owned record of skills and capabilities. Student Voice and leadership directly shaped requirements for the pilot, governance principles, and future development, demonstrating the transformative impact of authentic partnership.
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This student-led initiative equips student leaders with the skills to respond safely and compassionately to disclosures of gender-based violence. Designed in collaboration with and delivered by students and staff, the program strengthens campus safety, peer support, and institutional capability while fostering a culture of trust and inclusion.
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Access Monash Mentoring empowers students from underrepresented backgrounds to lead widening participation initiatives for future university students. Through co-design, mentoring, and governance roles, student mentors drive strategic decision-making while developing leadership capabilities and promoting equitable access to higher education.
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With thanks to our 2026 Platinum Partners
