Siblings Miles and Ali Archibald grew up together in a small, isolated town called Guyra, with a population of 2,000, located in north-west NSW. They both attend University of New England (UNE).
Miles joined SSE’s first unit of study in 2017, travelling to Sydney on a mobility scholarship. Keen to use his new skills and experience, Miles ideated a new Regional Venture Student Society at UNE.
Fellow SSE alumni, Rosie Dawson, from University of Technology Sydney, was doing an SSE internship to help alumni stay actively engaged with entrepreneurship at their home institutions. Rosie and Miles collaborated to launch the society – a cross-institutional collaboration embodying the SSE spirit.
UNE’s incubator, which helps startups with innovative business ideas grow, also came on board to forge a strong local network. SSE hosted the launch event at UNE, sparking local connections and leading more student entrepreneurs to join the SSE community.
Inspired by her brother and the new society, Ali Archibald joined SSE’s second unit of study in early 2018.
“The reason I joined The Navigator is because I saw the impact it had on my brother … The opportunities and insights he gained have been fantastic and I wanted to do it as well,” said Ali Archibald.
With the skills and confidence gained at SSE, Miles continues his entrepreneurial journey. He has travelled to China and South Korea, completed an internship, and received a prestigious scholarship from Australia’s largest global insurer, as their first Indigenous Fellow.
Ali and Miles now work together on the UNE Venture Student Society, and keep in touch with fellow students in the growing SSE alumni network. They hope to expand the society into other locations in their region.