In this WITWAT, we spotlight three IGS Alums, Frank Woods (2015), Sonia Wustemann (2021) and Phillip Mihajlov (2008), each forging unique and exciting paths in education, engineering and entrepreneurship. Their journeys span continents and careers, united by a shared spirit of adventure and a love for learning.
Frank Woods 2015
After graduating with an education degree from UTS in 2022, I travelled through South East Asia using money I’d saved from part-time uni jobs. I had the time of my life and met so many beautiful people. Along the way, I was inspired by teachers who had worked all over the world and heard about a program in Spain that sponsors teachers and places them in schools. I was accepted to teach at a vocational school in Guadalajara (not the Mexican one!), just outside Madrid. While in Spain, I also completed my CELTA certificate for teaching English to adults. I absolutely loved my time there.
When my contract ended in June, I wasn’t ready to come home. In July, I volunteered in Morocco teaching English in Taroudant (“the mini Marrakech”), then spent three weeks at Frilingue, a summer language camp in the Swiss Alps, teaching English and Maths to teens from around the world. I also got to enjoy some of the most beautiful mountain scenery I’ve ever seen and went on some amazing excursions with the kids.
Now I’m back in Sydney and about to start a new job at EF Language School, teaching intensive English courses to students from all over the world. I’m excited to turn this kind of work into a career—it’s already introduced me to so many interesting people with incredible stories. I’ll be based near my old Ultimo stomping ground, so maybe I’ll see some familiar IGS faces!
Sonia Wustemann 2021
I left IGS in 2021 and began a mechanical engineering degree at UNSW in 2022. I am in my third year and I now work at Carbonix on their specialised UAVs which are basically just big drones (with roughly a 4m wing span!). These UAVs are used primarily for long-range surveillance and the demand for them is growing in industries such as construction and infrastructure. Apart from this I’m involved in a UNSW student project called Redback Racing where we design and build a Formula 1 style race car and compete once a year in an Australasia wide competition. Last year our team ranked first in Australia and second overall in the competition! I’m also very involved in a student society called MechSoc which is the mechanical engineering student society at UNSW. I’m currently the industry executive which means I’m in charge of all sponsorships for the society, including with engineering companies and alcohol brands (some of these big ones include Jagermeister, Cruiser and Little Fat Lamb).
In August I am heading off on exchange to Spain for six months and am very excited to learn more about the culture and for some partying in Ibiza!
Phillip Mihajlov 2008
After finishing at IGS in 2008, I studied a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Sydney, majoring in Italian and Economics. While studying, I worked at the Sofitel Wentworth Sydney in conference and catering, then in valet parking. After graduating, I joined a CBA subsidiary as a front office clerk, completed my Certificate in Broking, and received the NSW Trainee of the Year award. This led me to become an office manager and mortgage broker, managing over 300 clients.
After two years, my now-wife Kathryn and I left our jobs at CBA and AstraZeneca to become ski instructors in New Zealand, a dream I’d always had. We later did a season in Canada, and lived in Cairns and then Jindabyne for three years. In 2017, I opened my own brokerage and worked as a mobile broker while also assisting with ski injuries at a pharmacy. I married Kathryn in 2018 and finished building my first house in Sydney the day before our wedding.
In 2019, we welcomed our first child, Kalina, and sadly lost our family home in Talbingo to bushfires. I commuted from Sydney to rebuild it with my brother and father. During COVID, we moved to Moree, lived in a caravan, and Kathryn worked as a pharmacist while I looked after Kalina. We later returned to Sydney where our second daughter, Anastasija, was born in 2022.
We then lived in Deniliquin while working with my brother to complete four townhouses in Jindabyne, known as Powder Peaks, and launched Airbnb operations in 2023. Kathryn took a role in Hervey Bay, so we camped on K’Gari and explored the area. Later that year, I sold my house and mortgage business, and we travelled from Melbourne through the Murray River region to Adelaide and back via the Great Ocean Road.
Last month, we welcomed our third child, Tome, who is being raised in Talbingo while we prepare to return to Sydney. I’ve just purchased land to build a luxury home and am looking forward to our next adventure, a trip to Macedonia to show our kids where their ancestors come from and attend my best friend Paris’ wedding, who’s also an IGS alum.
