The Impact of Mandelbaum House

This year Mandelbaum House celebrates its 25th birthday. Hundreds of students from Melbourne to Mozambique have found “a home away from home” at Mandelbaum. As a means to keep alumni connected, Gina Abramowitz (2016 resident, Alumni President) and Sophia Kwiet (2015 resident, Mandelbaum board member) have recently partnered to revive Mandelbaum’s alumni community. Grateful for the invaluable experiences they had while residents at the college, Abramowitz and Kwiet are keen to give back to this very special community.

“I met life-long friends from across the globe at Mandelbaum” explained Kwiet. “We enjoyed meals together, studied together, went out together, panicked about exams and assignments together and supported each other daily – it was an invaluable base to call home whilst at university”.

Abramowitz concurred, “Mandelbaum offers so much more than a convenient location and catered meals, it offers students an opportunity to forge meaningful connections, celebrate cultural diversity and engage in personal development as they enter this important phase of young adulthood”.

These two passionate women are seeking to form an extensive network of Mandelbaum Alumni. Their vision is to create networking and mentorship opportunities in addition to hosting social events and reunions. “There is so much potential to be harnessed within the alumni community, with such a diverse group of people in different professions, it would be a shame to not utilise the skill set and talent available”. They hope that the Mandelbaum alumni network will provide ongoing opportunities for social activity, cultural exchange and professional development. 

If you are a Mandelbaum Alumni and would like to get involved or find out more, Gina and Sophia would love to hear from you- mandelbaumhousealumni@gmail.com.