We help fast track your leadership journey
We connect individuals from refugee or asylum seeker backgrounds with Australian leaders to fast track their leadership career.
Applications are now open for the second annual cohort of the Crescent Champions Club.
Supporting DEAKIN CREATE Career Clinics
Behind every story of "self-made" success is a group of unsung heroes who cleared obstacles and created opportunities. We all need sponsors to open doors and mentors to open minds. In our careers, there are few things that matter more than knowing people who are willing to take a chance on us.
Adam Grant, Best Selling Author of Give and Take and the Originals and Wharton School Professor
Crescent Champions Club
The Crescent Champions Club nurtures individuals from a refugee or asylum seeker background by pairing them up with influential leaders that mentor and guide their journey towards career success and leadership.
The first cohort of the Crescent Champions Club was a tremendous success with more than 69% of graduate mentees finding some sort of paid employment. We look forward to increasing that rate with your help. If you’ve got the experience, then you can change a refugee’s life forever.
Past mentors have said...
“I don't know how to describe it but hmm… I just feel more fulfilled. You know, sometimes I am the one telling him about what’s going on at work… I feel I can do something good… a kind of meaning like… I am a partner in a law firm, and I don’t get that feeling from running (the firm)”.
“It’s nice for me to … my wisdom to impart. I’ve had a lot of help (from others) throughout my career and my career is elevated very quickly. And yeah… it’s nice for me to do this (being a mentor at the Career Clinic) … I make time during the year to do it even though my time is very limited. But that’s one of the things in my week which I really enjoy”.
“I was able to help her (mentee) quite a lot. She got really good feedback (from the Career Clinic) so that was helpful. I would be happy to be involved in the program this year again. And I think I’ll probably do a better job with the benefit of having done this initial one”.
Our Champions
Professor Bob Carr
Government of Australia
Professor Prabhu Sivabalan
UTS
Professor Talal Yassine
Crescent Wealth
Yousif Odeh
Department of the Prime Minister & Cabinet
Dr. Sayd Farook
Dinar Standard
Miriam Silva
Premier's Council for Women
Vanessa Liell
Crescent Institute
Murray Hurps
UTS
Ahmad Hammoud
Konica Minolta
Betina Szkudlarek
University of Sydney
Are you from a refugee or asylum seeker background?
The Crescent Champions Club offers access to exclusive leadership and career development privileges:
Crescent Foundation has partnered with Deakin CREATE in support of their careers clinic program and expertise in supporting people from a refugee background to build their careers after leaving their home country.
Past participants have said...
“I think the fact that we could spend time with our mentors outside the Career Clinic was really great because you know… we had more time and we were more focused. And then I think the fact that they matched people… the mentors and mentees based on some sort of commonalities was also really great. It (the Career Clinic) was really helpful and sort of exceeded my expectation, because when I started the Career Clinic I was looking for a job but I didn’t know that I would get a job at the end. Obviously I was very satisfied.”
“It was really nice because it may seem like I wasn’t alone here. The clinic people have been amazing… so supportive. They are trying to find a way to help you… My first mentor was amazing. We were talking a lot during the clinic… almost twice of three times per week… I know I can count on her if I need something. She was absolutely brilliant. It was amazing. I’m really glad to have joined these clinics”.
“She (the mentor) really helped me with transition into a new area or sector… She was very supportive by encouraging me to do things so sometimes there are opportunities”.
Deakin CREATE & The Crescent Champions Graduate Career Clinics: 2021 Impact Report
In 2021 Deakin University’s Centre for Refugee Employment, Advocacy, Training, and Education (CREATE) partnered with the Crescent Foundation to develop and deliver career clinics for recent or soon to be university graduates from refugee backgrounds.
Crescent Foundation
Crescent Foundation invest collective networks, resources and funds to mobilise support towards projects and initiatives that have a catalysing impact. We support initiatives in our four areas of focus: Education & Refugees, Helping the Homeless, Conservation of Islamic Art & Culture, Civics, Youth and Democracy
Crescent Champions Club is an initiative of Crescent Foundation with the support of Crescent Institute and Deakin University.
The Crescent Institute is among Australia's pre-eminent professional networking and thought leadership organisations. It establishes and nurtures connections among members as they gain insights on key issues from Australia's leading figures in a warm, but professional setting.
