Fantastic four give back
by Heather Leggett
Central Districts Football Club’s centre half-back Yves Sibenaler admits that finding time to hit the books during footy season can be challenging. But for the next few months, study is top priority while the footballer nicknamed ‘Evil’ pursues his most rewarding goal yet.
As one of four students to each receive a $10,000 School of Management Honours Scholarship, Sibenaler is focused on completing a major research project – the final task in a demanding honours year.
In an unlikely coincidence, Sibenaler and fellow scholarship winners Jessica Clark, Tahirih Ernesta and Eva Balan-Vnuk, all Bachelor of Management students, are using their research as a platform to help the community.
Sibenaler is drawing on a lifetime of playing football to examine whether a sports club can enhance social capital within a community and potentially decrease crime.
"From my experience, a sports club enhances social networks, promotes pride and increases trust between community members," he says.
"For this reason, I am hoping that the results of the study will encourage investment in sporting clubs, particularly in disadvantaged regions."
Jessica Clark meanwhile, is looking to investigate whether volunteering in the botanic gardens can improve wellbeing among community members.
Inspired after reading an article on depression among young people, the outdoorsy 22-year old who works at UniSA’s Centre for Tourism and Leisure Management, believes that the gardens might hold some answers.
"Through my work at the Centre, I have noticed the positive effects on older volunteers in the gardens," Clark says.
"Unsurprisingly, there aren’t many younger volunteers. But I believe that regardless of age, wellbeing can be enhanced by reconnecting with nature. It might be a way to combat health issues like depression."
The third scholarship recipient, jazz music fan Tahirih Ernesta, was born to travel and has made that the focus of her research. The 25-year old, who calls the Seychelles home, was educated in India and journeyed around the globe before landing in Adelaide a couple of years ago.
Travelling to Bali in the aftermath of the 2004 bombings and the Schapelle Corby case, Ernesta was shocked to see the resulting decline in tourism, even years after the events.
She has since focused her research on uncovering why people stay away from certain holiday spots, long after true risks to safety are gone.
"I’m hoping my research can provide advice to tourism operators in these risk zones – how to minimise the perceptions of danger and bring tourists back to where they are needed most," she says.
The fourth scholarship winner, corporate powerhouse Eva Balan-Vnuk, spent nine years working in sales and marketing for Microsoft in Vienna and Singapore. Now, the 32-year old is using her business smarts to help the not-for-profit sector.
"In the past, government and charities provided the bulk of social services," she says.
"Now, the strain on these resources has resulted in the emergence of social enterprises such as Meals on Wheels," she says. "By understanding how successful social enterprises operate, I can potentially help other not-for-profits identify ways to be financially sustainable.
"I’m very grateful for the scholarship, it allows me to give something back to the community."
Diverse research interests aside, it is clear that all four students share some unique qualities - for one, they all have plans to complete a PhD. But it is their shared community spirit that is perhaps the most inspiring.