Meet

The CalCC International Program Team is passionate about International Education. 

My background in international is not typical. I was fortunate enough to spend most of my young adult life travelling and working as a professional musician, playing with performers such as The Four Tops, Martha and the Vandelas, Lam Manyee, Eugene Pao, Elvin Bishop, Renee Geyer, Joe Camilleri amongst many others, as well as heading up my own contemporary jazz group. Music granted me behind-the-scenes access to a panorama of culture groups, their humour, foods and hospitality. Maori, West African, Latin American, Cuban, Italian, South African, French, Japanese, Thai, Indonesian, Korean, Chinese, Russian, Ukrainian and Scandinavian. I have spent time in enormous cities: New York, Paris, Moscow, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai and in remote places too, including living briefly with a Kanak family in a traditional hut on Lifou, sharing stories and songs, thanks to my involvement with an Australian Aboriginal group at the time. Throughout my musical years and escapades, I taught music at Southern Cross and Griffith universities and at a number of private schools.

If I wasn’t already rich, raising a family on the beautiful, healthy Sunshine Coast and starting work at CalCC back in ’08 has delivered spiritual wealth in spades, and along the way has motivated me to complete postgrad in International Studies (Political Science) at UQ and to develop an international program that is special and particular to this amazing College.

“What instrument?” you ask. Sign up to be a homestay or apply to enrol and I will tell you 😉

Born in Germany, I started learning other languages and developed an interest in other cultures from an early age. When I turned 18, I moved to the United States to become an Au Pair. Afterwards, I pursued university studies in International Management back home in Frankfurt on the Main.

A few years into my professional life, I decided that I wanted to see more of the world. I booked tickets to explore South America and the Asian-Pacific Region, including a handful of countries in Asia, and of course, Australia. I came across such beautiful people, cultural diversity and stunning landscapes. 

I now call Australia home. Working in International Education here at CalCC on the Sunny Coast is the ‘cherry on the cake’. Creating a safe space for international students to come overseas to explore and evolve is such a privilege. Alongside Mark and our beautiful International Team, we welcome students each year from all over the world with different backgrounds, languages and expectations.  

Ms Miki Nipperess
Interpreter & English Tutor

Every year, around Christmas and before the end of our school year, we get our entire International Team together to celebrate. 

International Staff Christmas Dinner 2022