Christel Cherryadi

I think it’s not too exaggerated if I say my journey at SAE actually changed the trajectory of my life. I studied at SAE University College in Byron Bay – that was from 2020 to 2022. Best lockdown ever.  

What is one of your favourite memories during your time at Navitas?  

 There are a lot of favourite memories from SAE. I mean looking back, this is 2 years after I graduated. I think the friends that I got to work with on my final projects and even like, you know, the studio workshops, are still current friends. And like, sometimes we work on different projects together still. Mia, one of my best friends, I still get in touch with her. She’s doing like different creative directing projects, I’m doing different creative directing projects.   

But the culture that SAE has brought, you know, the love in us about giving constructive feedback. It’s actually very useful in our different industries because then we’re doing two different things and we’re giving feedback to one another. So that’s really good. 

And I think the lecturers are such a win. Back then, really. I dream crazy dreams. I wanted to do crazy stuff. So, I was doing graphic design as my core study. My minor was augmented reality. It became my major because everyone was just very encouraging. So I got to, in my major project, I got to work with Nigel. So he’s an animator in Byron Bay and then the game lecturer. But look, I was a design student, but I got to work with like all these different industry people. I think the best thing about it is we get to actually work as if we’re in a real creative industry.  

 So we also get to exhibit our student projects so it does feel like we have industry exposure. At the end of my study, we got to do a live event at the Byron Bay Public Library. So that was really good, gives us exposure.  

 How has studying at Navitas made an impact on your life and that of your family? 

Studying at SAE make an impact not just for me but also my family. This is actually such a privilege because literally after I graduated from SAE…So what happened was my graduation date actually clashed with Navitas’ global conference in 2023, which I was so privileged to be invited to as a student ambassador for SAE. And, yeah, I got to ask mum and dad to, like, come and join us. so they were in the room. Yeah. It was a proud moment, I guess, for them as parents. And I think it is also kind of like a, you know, a ‘sister pursuing dreams’ example for my siblings, so that was really rewarding for us, yeah.  

 What have you achieved in your life and career since graduating?  

 I think it’s not too exaggerated if I say my journey at SAE actually changed the trajectory of my life.I got introduced to augmented reality, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, through studying my design degree, guys, it’s a design degree! But this is the cool thing about blended learning in the creative industry, right?  

 So literally after I graduated from my study, I actually applied for a scholarship at the University of Adelaide, which I got, for my masters in immersive technology. So because of my portfolio, I actually got a fast track. Instead of two years, I got into a one-and-a-half-year master’s degree, which I just graduated from three days ago, four days ago. Yeah. And it was really good, because then the niche of the technology and its enablement for education especially, actually allowed me to join a startup community at ThincLab. So currently, I’m a startup founder of Creart Digital Media and we do innovations for education technology, as well as on the marketing side, we help businesses to do commercialisation through augmented reality.  

 So, a very rewarding journey.  

What advice would you have for new students entering a Navitas program? 

 My advice for new students or like current students especially as well…I think SAE is like an all you can eat buffet. Like you can eat anything, you can learn whatever and no one’s going to tell you no, right? All the lectures, all your peers, everyone is so supportive. Like honestly guys, if you step out of this good bubble, it can be harder to find like a community that nurtures you as a creative professional like here. That’s why stepping onto the campus today, I was like, oh man, this is such a good vibe.  

 So yeah, make the most out of it. Dream big and go for it. Do whatever you want to do because you have all the support around you.  

 I think one last thing that is very special about Navitas and SAE is the company culture. I think it reflects on, how I mentioned before, how encouraging we are, how inclusive we are, but also, as creative professionals or like creative students, right, sometimes the things that we do are very close to our identity. And so sometimes when we have like criticism or something that we think, it’s not too good or like not perfect, right? Sometimes we can be our worst criticiser. Is that the word? Yeah, something like that, right.  

 But then the thing is, while we build this culture of inclusivity and like, you know, connectedness and encouragement, I think we can be kind to our friends, by giving them the good feedback that we think could help them. And then in that way, it actually helps us to receive feedback and detach our work as our work – not as who we are. And who we are as who we are.  

 I think that’s very important for artists. Yeah. Because when it comes to doing stuff in the industry, sometimes you win, sometimes you learn. Yeah. So it’s good to be, it’s good to be encouraging.