Ms Jenny Taing received the 2014 Rising Star Award for Young Alumni

The Rising Star Award for Young Alumni is awarded to individuals aged 35 and under who have demonstrated an outstanding level of professional achievement and community involvement since graduating from the University of Melbourne. They may also have been recognised by colleagues and peers for their outstanding leadership and impact as a global citizen. This year, the Rising Star Award for Young Alumni was jointly awarded to Ms Jenny Taing and Dr Toby Ord.

Awarded for her commendable leadership and outstanding contribution in the fields of Public Health and Multicultural Policy, Ms Jenny Taing (BA 2006, LLB(Hons) 2006) receives the 2014 Rising Star Award for Young Alumni. In addition to her work as a lawyer for the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, Jenny is a member of the board of the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital and the advisory board for the University of Melbourne's Centre for Advancing Journalism. She has also served as a Commissioner of the Victorian Multicultural Commission under John Brumby and was named on the CPA Australia INTHEBLACK Magazine's 40 Young Business Leaders for 2013.

Jenny graduated from the University of Melbourne in 2007 with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Arts majoring in Political Science. Following her graduation, she secured employment at the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, where she is now a senior lawyer. In addition to her formal work engagements, through a number of activities and appointments Jenny has continued to demonstrate her passion and excellence in the areas of health, multicultural policy and media.

Outside of her work as a lawyer for the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, Jenny has lent her analytical and legal skills to the health industry through her ongoing volunteer work with the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. Jenny's first interaction with the Eye and Ear Hospital occurred in 2007, when her mother was admitted to the emergency department. Mrs Taing, who emigrated from Vietnam to Australia as a refugee, experienced significant communication issues during her treatment at the hospital. From that experience, Jenny was motivated to try to make a difference for patients like her mother, giving a voice to patients from 'culturally and linguistically diverse' (CALD) backgrounds when interacting with the public health system.
In 2008, Jenny demonstrated her commitment to the multiculturalism and health care causes by volunteering to sit on the hospital's Community Advisory Committee (CAC), advising the board on consumer issues. Shortly after joining the CAC, Jenny was also invited by the CEO and Chief Medical Officer to sit on the hospital's Human Research and Ethics Committee. Whilst she was busy working in the Law and Health Care sectors, Jenny was concurrently active as a Commissioner of the Victorian Multicultural Commission, following her appointment in 2011 by the Premier John Brumby. This role involved being a leading voice for the multicultural community and advising the Premier on a range of multicultural policies.

Through her diverse positions of responsibility and leadership, Jenny has encouraged examination of the way health care is provided from a culturally diverse perspective. She has recommended significant improvements to the requirements for CALD care, and has also made similar suggestions in the field of Aged Care, having experienced first-hand the difficulty in locating a facility for her father with adequate bilingual communication between staff, residents and families. Jenny published an article on this subject, sharing her story and highlighting the importance and need for aged care to be culturally appropriate. Jenny's passion and dedication in these roles culminated in her appointment to the board of the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital in 2012 by the Victorian Minister for Health, David Davis.

Supplementary to her work in health and multiculturalism, Jenny also takes a keen interest in the media and enjoys her work on the advisory board for the University of Melbourne's Centre for Advancing Journalism. In this role she contributes to the development and teaching of journalism as the Centre works to ensure that the practice and teaching of Journalism continues to adapt to changing environmental influences such as globalisation. Jenny was a key contributor in the early stages of conceptualising The Citizen, the online publication of the Centre for Advancing Journalism. In fact, the original concept for The Citizen emerged as a result of a discussion about the importance of investigative journalism and the quality of public debate in Australia between Jenny, former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser, and the now Director of the Centre, Dr Margaret Simons. The Citizen now plays a key role in the teaching and training of Masters of Journalism students at the University of Melbourne and has a broad and increasing readership. (Read the latest from The Citizen).

As the daughter of refugees, Jenny is the first person in her family to receive a tertiary education. She feels a strong sense of public duty and is highly motivated to use her education and position of privilege to make a difference in the community. At the age of 30, Jenny is an emerging young female leader giving a voice to the multicultural community and young women in media and the law. Jenny's leadership was recognised formally last year when she was named on the CPA Australia INTHEBLACK Magazine's 40 Young Business Leaders for 2013.

Jenny's future career aspirations include becoming the CEO of a health organisation, so that she may continue to provide a good role model for other young women, and can also "lead in a way that has direct impact and outcomes for the community". If her achievements-to-date offer any indication of her future success, there can be little doubt she will achieve her goals. In 2013, Jenny was awarded the Women's Governance Scholarship by the Victorian Minister for Women's Affairs, an award which enabled her to complete the Australian Institute of Company Directors course. Jenny is well on the way to her dream job and we look forward to following the future trajectory of this passionate and high-achieving alumna of the Faculty of Arts.

Congratulations Jenny Taing, recipient of a 2014 Rising Star Award for Young Alumni.