In this practical and straight-talking episode of Better Student Leaders, Josh Farr is joined by James Schlunke, Head of Early Careers at Capgemini AUNZ, to unpack what actually drives employability in 2026.

“I would challenge every student to have at least one customer-facing job, because that’s where real employability is built.”

Drawing on a decade building one of Australia’s top-ranked graduate programs, James shares why careers are no longer ladders but lattices, why emotional intelligence beats perfect CVs, and how what students do outside the classroom often matters more than what they do inside it.

Three reasons to listen

• Learn what graduate employers really look for when candidates have similar degrees and grades
• Understand why customer-facing work, communication, and adaptability matter more than ever
• Get clear, practical guidance on how students can spend their time to stand out in a competitive market

“Someone who can carry a conversation and is passionate about something will always stand out.”

In this timely and thought-provoking episode of Better Student Leaders, Josh Farr is joined by Dale Leszczynski, Head of AI Education at RMIT University, to unpack what it really means to learn, lead, and stay human in an AI-enabled world. Dale cuts through hype and fear to explore how students, educators, and leaders can use AI responsibly without losing identity, ethics, or community.

"Sticking your head in the sand with AI is a really good way to get yourself in trouble."

The conversation spans AI shame, “life with cheat codes,” tribal thinking around technology, and why universities must be deliberate, transparent, and human-first as AI becomes unavoidable.

“AI will happen to us, whether we like it or not.”

Three reasons to listen:

1. Understand how to use AI without losing your identity, ethics, or confidence as a student or leader
2. Learn the biggest mistakes universities and students are making by being either blindly pro-AI or completely anti-AI
3. Take away practical frameworks to decide what you should do, and what AI should do, in study, leadership, and work

In this powerful episode of Better Student Leaders, Josh Farr sits down with Colm Gannon, CEO of ICMEC Australia, to explore what purpose-driven leadership looks like when the work is emotionally heavy and morally urgent. Drawing on his journey from counter-terrorism and victim identification to child protection advocacy, Colm shares how he leads teams through confronting realities without losing hope, clarity, or humanity.

“You are a leader of people, not a leader of a spreadsheet.”

The conversation spans moral leadership in the age of technology, sustaining people in high-emotion roles, and why passion for people is the foundation of impact, especially when the mission is bigger than any single win.

Three reasons to listen

• Learn how to lead and sustain teams doing emotionally demanding work without burnout
• Understand the leadership implications of technology and child safety, and why silence is the real risk
• Take away practical insights on building passionate, people-first cultures that endure hard problems

“If you stop, the voice goes silent.”

In this episode of Better Student Leaders, Josh Farr sits down with Corey Tutt, Founder and CEO of DeadlyScience, to unpack what ethical, community-led leadership really looks like when the stakes are real.

“Every day is an opportunity to make tomorrow better.”

From a childhood shaped by trauma and curiosity, to becoming the 2020 NSW Young Australian of the Year, an OAM recipient, and the first Aboriginal winner of a Eureka Prize, Corey shares the moments that shaped his leadership values, including the unlikely lessons learned from animals, loss, and rebuilding trust with young people on the margins.

“Leadership isn’t about accolades. It’s about showing up for people who have been let down and giving them real opportunity.”

This is a raw, generous conversation about perseverance, passion and purpose, and why leadership is not about accolades, but about showing up consistently for people who need opportunity the most.

Whether you’re a student leader, educator, or someone working to create change inside institutions, this episode is a powerful reminder that leadership starts with humanity, and that every day really is an opportunity to make tomorrow better.

Today, on Better Student Leaders, I’m joined by Tayla Naicker. Tayla spent a decade in the modelling industry after being discovered at just 12 years old, working across Australia, Singapore, London, Milan and Los Angeles, signing with major agencies and building a large online following. From the outside, it looked like the dream. On the inside, it raised some confronting questions about identity, confidence, loneliness and purpose.

3 things you’ll get from listening

• A raw, first-hand look at the modelling and influencer world that rarely gets talked about
• A powerful challenge for Gen Z students asking, “Why do I actually want to be seen online?”
• A hopeful story about redefining success through service, community and purpose

In this episode, Tayla shares what most people never see about modelling and influencing.

The pressure, the isolation, the quiet loss of community and the moment she realised success was pulling her further away from who she wanted to be.

We talk about why so many young people want to be influencers, what that pursuit can cost, and how Tayla walked away at the peak of her career to rebuild her life around service, community and helping young people see their worth beyond likes and followers.

Today on Better Student Leaders, I’m joined by Davy Roe, Events Officer at the University of Newcastle Students Association and the creator of UNSA Run Club. What started as a simple idea turned into a weekly ritual where students build friendships, confidence, and belonging through movement. No elite runners. No pressure. Just showing up, together.

“There shouldn’t really be any barriers to being able to participate in physical activity. When you put it in students’ backyard, that’s when community actually forms.”

This episode is a sharp reminder that better student leadership doesn’t always look like meetings and motions. Sometimes it looks like removing barriers, meeting students where they are, and creating space for connection. Davy shares how Run Club grew from 10–15 students into a thriving community, why consistency matters more than scale, and how letting students eventually take ownership is the real measure of success.

Today, on Better Student Leaders, I’m joined by Tayla Naicker. Tayla spent a decade in the modelling industry after being discovered at just 12 years old, working across Australia, Singapore, London, Milan and Los Angeles, signing with major agencies and building a large online following. From the outside, it looked like the dream. On the inside, it raised some confronting questions about identity, confidence, loneliness and purpose.

3 things you’ll get from listening

• A raw, first-hand look at the modelling and influencer world that rarely gets talked about
• A powerful challenge for Gen Z students asking, “Why do I actually want to be seen online?”
• A hopeful story about redefining success through service, community and purpose

In this episode, Tayla shares what most people never see about modelling and influencing.

The pressure, the isolation, the quiet loss of community and the moment she realised success was pulling her further away from who she wanted to be.

We talk about why so many young people want to be influencers, what that pursuit can cost, and how Tayla walked away at the peak of her career to rebuild her life around service, community and helping young people see their worth beyond likes and followers.

Today, on Better Student Leaders, Josh Farr is joined by Sahel Mohammed, recipient of the UTS Student Life Medallion, the highest recognition the university awards for student leadership and legacy. From joining clubs in his very first week at university to leading award-winning programs impacting thousands of students, Sahel reflects on how curiosity, consistency, and proactivity shaped his four-year journey at UTS.

Why You Should Listen

• Learn how Sahel scaled student engagement from small club events to 6,000+ attendees across a single year
• Hear practical lessons on leadership, time management, and communication from someone who supported 190+ clubs and 500 student leaders
• Understand why being proactive is the single mindset that separates standout student leaders from everyone else

In this episode, Sahel breaks down what actually makes student leadership work. From cutting through the noise of campus marketing, to leading large teams post-COVID, to challenging the status quo with events that had never been attempted before, this conversation is packed with practical insights for student leaders and the staff who support them. At its core, this episode explores a simple truth.

Better student leaders are not louder or busier. They are clearer, more intentional, and more proactive.

Today, on Better Student Leaders, I’m joined by Paris Mordecai. Paris is a proud Widjabul woman, born and raised on Bundjalung Country. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Gender Studies and Criminology from the University of Melbourne and is currently the Senior Coordinator, STEM Outreach (Indigenous) in the Faculty of Science. Through her work, Paris leads culturally grounded STEM outreach programs that connect Indigenous knowledges, university pathways, and the next generation of First Nations students, helping young people see themselves in science, leadership, and higher education.“It’s about broadening the idea of what a university can be and who it can be for, and showing our young mob that they have a place there, and that there are people who want to look after them and make sure they get in the door.”Paris breaks down:1. How Indigenous STEM outreach actually changes identity, not just aspiration2. The overlooked difference between a role model and a mentor, and why students need both3. What universities get wrong about access, and what works instead

Today on Better Student Leaders, I’m joined by Jared Tippets, Vice President for Student Affairs at Southern Utah University and co-author of Ascend to Higher Retention Rates. With more than two decades in student success, Jared shares how the ASCEND framework has helped lift retention by double-digit percentage points, not through silver bullets, but through hundreds of small, human-centred improvements. ASCEND stands for Affordability, Support, Culture, Engagement, Nudges, and Data, and together these pillars reshape how institutions think about student success and belonging.

In this episode, we explore:

• why affordability is about access to opportunity, not just tuition,
• how support must be personalised and trust-based,
• why culture often matters more than strategy,
• how engagement looks different for today’s students,
• how simple nudges can dramatically improve follow-through, how data should be used to focus limited resources on students who need support most.

You’ll get three big takeaways from listening: a practical, proven framework for improving retention and student success; clear examples of how leadership and culture shape the student experience; and a powerful reminder that listening is one of the most important skills student leaders can develop.