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Aquinian Jess Tresidder (2022-2023) is currently living in Hong Kong, undertaking a New Colombo Plan scholarship exchange at the City University of Hong Kong. As part of this scholarship, she is a representative for Think Global, working with Cyberport, a leading Asia-Pacific innovation hub. In between her busy program of speaking, working and studying, Jess took the time to consider how living at Aquinas shaped her journey:

I remember my first day at College,  walking nervously into the Chapel to collect my fresher pack, not knowing whether Aquinas was the right place for me. As soon as I walked into the Chapel, I was met with many beaming, welcoming smiles from S-Club. I didn’t know it then, but every single person in that room, plus many others, became lifelong friends.

And that essentially sums up Aquinas. You leave college with 180+ friends, who I now consider family, and a whole lot of memories. But the highlight for me was the support.
We would sit in the hallways for hours just talking, laughing, and predicting when we’d get chicken schnitzels for dinner. We would have meaningful conversations during the walks (or runs) back from town. We would form a circle at the end of the night when Holy Grail came on, linking arms, just because it was “tradition.”

In those moments, I’ve never felt more grateful for the people around me.

I was asked to write this article “about myself,” but I wouldn’t be who I am, or achieved what I have, without the people I met at College.

It was the people at College who supported me when I was trying to juggle work, University, and personal challenges. It was those people who supported and congratulated me when I started and sold my first business at 18, and when I received awards like the Governor of South Australia’s Commendation Award. The Aquinas community supported me when I felt like an ‘fraud’ for achieving such things.

An example of this more recently? A wonderful, kind person in the College community shared news of my Woman of the Year nomination – something I hadn’t publicised because I believe every woman deserves recognition. The overwhelming support from the girls and 60+ messages in the group chat made me tear up.

This was yet another example of the support I received within the Aquinas community that enabled me to succeed.

And while I’ve now moved to Hong Kong, where I’m working alongside Cyberport (a global leading AI/tech/Web3 innovation hub) and travel a lot for work, speaking at conferences … I’ll still smile when I hear the Holy Grail and Good Old Days by Macklemore play, knowing I’ll gratefully carry the Aquinas memories and friendships forever.