Who I Am

My name is Vera Jancik. I am the owner of Australian Premium Student Accommodation and have been managing our house for the last seven years.

I am a migrant. I come from Czech Republic and moved to Melbourne, Australia back in 1992.

I am also a property investor with a substantial property portfolio.

What I Do

I manage our house. At any point in time, we have a mixture of young adults living in our house. They come from all over the world, as well as Australia. They might be tertiary students or they might have finished their studies and starting their career.

If they need anything, they can contact me. I live just few minutes away, so it’s easy for me to stay in contact. I help with resolving any issues, misunderstandings or just coming over for a chat. I know everybody and they know me.

I also provide insight for them into Australian culture and the new surroundings they find themselves in. Sometimes our new tenants arrive directly from the airport. They don’t know what to do, where to go, what is what. I am there to help and explain. Mother of one of our tenants once said to me – “It looks like you play a mother for all the tenants”. I replied – “No, I am not trying to play their mother. I am trying to be their friend, so that they know they can come to me and talk any time”.

Why I Do It

Some time ago, it became clear to me that based on various experiences I’ve had in life I have lots to share with others. I understand how it feels to move countries, even continents. I know how lost one might feel in their new country or town.

When I first arrived in Melbourne, I was very lucky. I had a friend who did everything to help me by providing advice, answering all my questions and most importantly, by her conviction that there is no need for me to go through the same headaches that she’d been through. She always used to say – “I am telling you this because I wish someone would have told me when I first arrived. It would have made my life so much easier.”

I’ve always been grateful for having her in my life and I have become passionate about “paying it forward”. I know how it feels turning up in a strange country one day, not being able to communicate, not understanding what’s going on around me. I have been scared, homesick and stressed out. I have seen others going through the same. Some have made it through successfully, others have not. I was very lucky. I have been surrounded by people who really helped me. It is my time to pay it forward and I am loving it!