Alumni postcards
One of the wonderful things about having such a connected and global alumni community is hearing the fascinating stories of what people do once they leave Monash. We’d love to hear from you, so if you feel you have a story that might interest the wider community please get in touch.
 | Shane Fairlie - Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamHi from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. My name is Shane Fairlie and I’m a communications consultant with the World Health Organization’s Western Pacific Regional Office, focusing on COVID-19 communications. |
 | Thuseinthan Inpabalan - Colombo, Sri LankaHi, I’m Thuseinthan Inpabalan. I completed a Bachelor of Mechatronics Engineering (Honours) degree in 2019. Today, I am based in Colombo, Sri Lanka with my family. Just like everyone else around the globe, people are steering the difficulties and challenges that COVID has made us face, obstructing the ‘normal way of life’. |
 | Elli Ioannou - Paris, FranceI completed a Master of Visual Arts (Photomedia 2012-13). As a creative professional for the past 15+ years, I have developed certain tools for overcoming ‘quiet periods’ in terms of work and this in turns fosters ‘resilience‘ |
| Ben Loke - Melbourne, AustraliaHi from Melbourne. My name is Ben Loke and I graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Design in 1996 and have spent the past 25 years working with organisations, brands and events such as Peter Mac, The Royal Children’s and Women’s Hospitals, Hoyts, The Trading Post and the Australian Open. |
 | Artmemis Evangelidi - CyprusHello from Cyprus! After completing my Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Laws degrees in 2001, I worked as a lawyer in Melbourne until 2005 before taking the plunge to travel, live and work overseas. I have spent the last 20 years working for multinational organisations and government bodies, and for the past eight years, as their consultant through my business, Aipeia Consulting. |
| Syeda Jaferi Husain - Dhaka, BangladeshI am Syeda Jaferi Husain, I completed Master of Communication and Media Studies from Monash University in 2016. After that, I came back home to Bangladesh and I have been working and living here. Currently I am working as a Gender Consultant for the World Bank Office in Dhaka. |
 | Kaye Perkins - Melbourne, AustraliaHi everyone. My name is Kaye Perkins and I completed a Master of Business Administration at Monash University in 1991. Continuing the tradition, two of my sons graduated as engineers from Monash. One works for a Danish company (Vestas) in renewable energy and the other works as a systems engineer for Amazon in Vancouver. |
 | Pasan Kavisinghe - Colombo, Sri LankaHi, I'm Pasan Kavisinghe, a 2017 engineering graduate from Monash University living in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Being a Project Manager involved in commercial development, it's never practical or feasible to work from home because your job role involves numerous site visits and on-site planning. |
 | Kalvin Sandabunga - Jakarta, IndonesiaHello Monashians. My name is Kalvin Sandabunga and I completed my Master of Education specialising in Expert Teaching Practice in 2018. Currently, I am working at Sekolah Dian Harapan, Yayasan Pendidikan Pelita Harapan, Indonesia, as a curriculum coordinator and teacher trainer. |
 | Thanh Truong - Melbourne, AustraliaHi Monash Alumni, my name is Thanh Truong and I am a 2010 Bachelor of Commerce/Arts alumnus. 2020 has been a challenging year for us all. For many it is a year to forget. For me it has been a year of opportunity. Being ready to adapt to new circumstances overnight has been the story of the pandemic for me. |
 | David Conti - Melbourne, AustraliaHi All, I’m David. I completed a Bachelor of Commerce at Monash University in 2002. Today I’m based in Melbourne and like many people navigating the challenges of COVID. The past few weeks have been a roller coaster. My wife and I recently founded #GoKindly social enterprise. We make pillows that help you sleep better and donate 50% of profits to support women experiencing homelessness. |
 | Mahiul Bidat Chowdhury - Tasmania, AustraliaHi all. My name is Mahiul Bidat Chowdhury. I completed the Master of Social Work at Monash University in 2019. I live in Tasmania, a beautiful island state of Australia, which strictly maintains isolation that leads to success in controlling the pandemic at the community level. |
 | Devendra Singh - Jaipur, IndiaHi everyone, my name is Devendra Singh and I’m from Jaipur, India. I completed my Master of Business Information Systems at Monash University in 2019. I am now working in multiple roles with several organizations alongside working on a few ideas of my own. |
 | Benazir Komarudin - Jakarta, IndonesiaGreetings from Jakarta, Indonesia! Many people are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. Lives are being lost and many more become jobless as the economy declines due to lockdowns. I studied a Master of International Practice in Monash University two years ago. I discovered a whole new understanding of social and poverty issues that are prevalent in my country. |
 | Angel D Souza - Melbourne, AustraliaHi everyone! I hope you are all keeping safe and well in these trying times! I graduated with a Bachelor of Economics and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Criminology (a mouthful I know). I am so grateful for my time at Monash! All my experiences taught me great lessons about myself and the world around me. |
 | Ana Surjanto - Boyolali, IndonesiaHello from Indonesia, my name is Ana Surjanto. I live in Boyolali, Central Java Province. I accomplished my Master’s degree from Monash University majoring TESOL in 2018 with LPDP (Indonesia Endowment Fund) Scholarship from the Indonesian Government. |
 | Preenal Bessoondyal - MauritiusI graduated from Monash with a Bachelor of Business and Commerce majoring in Accounting and International Business. Monash has played an instrumental role in shaping me as a self-made man, creating my own identity with a greater sense of direction, purpose and dynamism and making me who I am today. |
 | Amanda O'Brien - London, UKHi everyone! I’m Amanda O’Brien. I completed my Bachelor of Economics at Monash in 1991 and enjoyed it so much that I returned to do a Bachelor of Business Marketing (Honours) which I completed in 1993. I am an Australian who has lived in London for 18 years. I live in Shepherd’s Bush in Central London. I haven’t left West London since the lockdown began. |
 | Vincent Pung - Beijing, ChinaHey Monash! How’s it going? I hope you are all keeping safe and well, wherever you may be around the world. My name is Vincent Pung (Bachelor of Biomedical Science) and I’m currently working in Beijing at North Head, a strategic communications and public affairs consulting firm. |
 | Karan Rathod - New York, USAMy name is Karan Rathod, a 2014 graduate from Monash University in Melbourne, where I learned a lot about Finance and Econometrics. Early on, I'd set my compass to live overseas at some point in the near future, but I would never have guessed that I’d be hunkered down in a cozy New York City apartment, under quarantine. |
 | Nathalie McCaughey - Lima, PeruDear Monash Community, a big Hello from Lima, Peru, where we have been in strict quarantine since March 16th and we will remain like this until the 30th of June – a total of 107 (!!!) days. It has been tough to say the least. Police and military are ever present and rules are strictly enforced via high monetary fines. |
 | Judith Anglin Abraham - London, UKHello from London! I’m sending positive vibes to all readers during a time of fantastic opportunities for us to breathe deeply, take stock and possibly change our future pathways. I moved from Melbourne to London in 1994. I completed an MA and MBA at Monash, and Graduate Diploma of Finance at another university. |
 | Kishen Shashikant - MalaysiaMy name is Kishen Shashikant. I graduated from Monash University Malaysia with the Bachelors of Business & Commerce majoring in Accounting & Finance in 2016. I think I’m personable and confident, and both of these traits were developed at Monash University. |
 | Heather Bray - Bulga Forest, NSW, AustraliaHi from Bulga Forest in NSW, where we have already had catastrophic drought and bushfires through our 1000 acres in November and now join everyone countrywide in the pandemic crisis. |
 | Adam Bahfen - Jakarta, IndonesiaHi everyone. My name is Adam Bahfen and I’m from Jakarta, Indonesia. I completed my Bachelor of Engineering specialising in mechanical engineering at Monash University in 2018. I am now working as a mechanical engineer with Meinhardt Indonesia. |
 | Alice Wong - SingaporeHello everyone, greetings from Singapore. Trust all is well. My name is Alice Wong, I completed a Bachelor of Communications at Monash University, Australia (Gippsland Campus) in 1998 - well, sad to say the campus is gone now. Having to study overseas in Monash was the most enjoyable moment in my life. |
 | Nahida Shumona - Dhaka, BangladeshHello, my name is Nahida Shumona and this is my ‘Lockdown Story’. In my country we do not call it lockdown, we refer to it as general holidays. I completed a Master of Arts (Diplomacy and International Trade) at Monash. I am the Director General with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. |
 | Christiane Zeh-Kuhl - Hong KongHello, my name is Christiane Zeh-Kuhl and I am originally from France. I have been living in Hong Kong with my family for the last 12 years. I completed a Master’s of Counseling at Monash in 2018 through Kaplan here in Hong Kong. I am working as a mindfulness-based counselor and am currently studying CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) online. |
 | Masitah Salleh - MalaysiaHello everyone, my name is Masitah. I graduated from Monash Malaysia with a Bachelor of Science (Biotechnology) and now work at Monash. Since the campus closed, we've all been working from home. I’ve discovered I tend to snack a lot while working at home which is not entirely healthy. |
 | Chris Larkin - Bangkok, ThailandHi there, my name is Chris Larkin – I completed an economic honours degree in 1998 and then in the mid 2000’s I undertook a Masters of Public Policy and Management which I completed in 2008. I originally came over to work for the Thai government at the Ministry of Finance but moved to the private sector a few years after that. |
 | Dominique Staindl - London, United KingdomDear alumni, If there has ever been a time to expand connections across the world, it’s now. A postcard may be old fashioned, but it’s a good start. As it has for so many, lockdown has provided me a state-mandated opportunity for reflection. It puts the feeling of home into perspective. |
 | Yly Suardy - Jakarta, IndonesiaHi, my name is Yly Suardy, a Monash Master of Laws alumna and Legal Counsel at the Lippo Group, Indonesia. I am a working mother with 2 children ages 13 and 9 years old. The first week was a struggle for everyone, to us as parents, to the kids because of schooling, our house devolved into utter chaos |
 | Joel Smith - Melbourne, AustraliaDear world, It is me, Joel Smith, coming to you live from my flat in Melbourne. Since leaving Monash in 2010 after completing a Bachelor of Journalism, I have developed a career in sports digital and social media. However, due to the current circumstances, I write this to you having lost all sources of income. |
Solisou Preap - Phnom Penh, CambodiaHello, my name is Solisou Preap. I completed a Master of Communication and Media Studies at Monash University in 2017. I was fortunate to receive an Australia Award scholarship from the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to study at Monash. | |
Lauren Haberfield - Paris, FranceHello everyone, greetings from Paris. My name is Lauren Haberfield, I completed a Bachelor of Design at Monash University. I've lived in Paris for the last 6 years and work in advertising as an Associate Creative Director at the agency BETC. | |
Grace Watson - Bologna ItalyHi, I’m Grace Watson and I’ve been living in a small town just outside of Bologna, Italy, since February 2019. I completed a Bachelor of Biomedicine at Monash and now I’m studying Medicine and Surgery at the University of Bologna. |
