ATMC Profiles

Sydney IT Tutor & Academic Student Support Officer aims high

A love of the Information Technology (IT) field and teaching has inspired ATMC Sydney staff member to apply to complete a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and pursue a career in academia.

As a previous ATMC student, Sony Sangwan won praise for consistently receiving high distinctions in her Masters of IT degree and being a prestigious Golden Key member. Sony now passes on her skills, knowledge and support to students at the ATMC Sydney campus where she works as an IT Tutor and as an Academic Student Support Officer.

“I finished my masters from ATMC last year and I got top marks. I received the Federation University high academic achievement congratulation letter four times, one for each semester,” Sony says.

Sony teaching_1

“A main part of my role as an Academic Student Support Officer is to help students feel comfortable at the ATMC campus, so if they have any personal or academic problems I always guide them as a friend and as a mentor. I also support the IT staff by maintaining a good relationship with the students and managing and participating in IT events on campus.

“I also work as a Tutor for the database management systems unit. I help students with understanding the course information, assignments and also give them advice about how they can find a professional job in the IT field,” Sony says.

Sony says her love of teaching started in her home country of India, where she began tutoring neighbours and also worked as a tutor at her university in Delhi.

“I’ve been teaching for the last seven years. I have very good teaching experience and skills because I like giving information to other people and also engaging with students. All of these things encourage me to pursue teaching as a profession and to apply to complete my PhD,” Sony says.

A natural flair for teaching runs in Sony’s family, as her three siblings also work in positions that require teaching skills.

Sony teaching class_2

“I have three siblings, my sister is a lecturer in New Zealand, my other sister in Delhi is also a lecturer and my brother is a sports trainer in New Zealand. So all of the sisters are in teaching, it’s quite exciting,” she says.

“My family always support me in all aspects. I credit my success to my encouraging family.”

Sony says the most rewarding aspect of her role at ATMC is helping students excel in their course.

“I have a very strong background in IT, so if students have any problems with exams or assignments I can help them directly,” she says.

“I give them advice for IT references and online suggestions that they can use in their assignments. I also recommend specific databases and information for them to include in assignments, and I always encourage them to use online resources as well as books.

“Students give me very, very good feedback about my work. They always say even though I’m a teacher and support officer, I always treat them like a friend. I always try to communicate with them as a friend and as a mentor,” Sony says.

Sony plans to start her PhD later this year, where she will focus on multimedia (Video Streaming) in IT. In the future she wants to achieve her goal of becoming a scientist.