Alumni Spotlight

Alumni Spotlight: 

Justin Vingerhoets 

(Class of 2004)

Last week we were lucky enough to welcome Justin back to Berwick College to share his story. Justin has built a successful career across television, sport, international production and digital media, turning a passion first developed in the College’s media classrooms into a profession spanning more than 15 years.

After leaving school in 2004 to pursue a Certificate III in Screen and Media, Justin continued his studies at university before entering the industry. An early volunteer role with Hawthorn Football Club provided valuable experience and helped launch a career that would see him work as a TV Producer, Video Editor, Technician and Script Writer across some of Australia’s most recognisable productions.

His professional experience includes The Project, The Block, Big Brother, the Australian Open, AFL Media and Seven Network’s Spring Carnival broadcasts, before later working throughout the United States as a sports producer. Today, Justin works as a Videographer and Social Media Manager in the real estate industry.

Despite his extensive industry experience, Justin credits Berwick College with helping him discover the pathway he wanted to pursue.

“In a very big way, I owe it all to my media classes and teachers. After Berwick College, I hit a crossroads in life where I needed to choose whether to progress or fall behind. Media creation was what I did best at school, so I pursued that path and never looked back.”

As part of our Alumni Spotlight series, Justin shared several key messages for current Berwick College students. One lesson that has shaped his career is the value of developing a broad skill set. While many of his university classmates aspired to become Hollywood directors, Justin had a different goal.

“I wanted to be a jack of all trades.”

That mindset helped him gain experience across a wide range of roles and ultimately made him a versatile and highly employable professional.

Justin also encourages students to take advantage of opportunities whenever they arise.

“Never say no to an opportunity. If you’re asked to step up, do it. You’ll be nervous as hell, but you’ll learn through opportunity and become known as the person who can be relied upon.”

His final message to students is to continue learning, trust their abilities and recognise their own value.

“Always progress forward because we never stop learning. Don’t be afraid to step sideways occasionally to reassess your purpose in life. But never step backwards or allow others to degrade you. Know your value.”

We thank Justin for sharing his experiences and insights with us and for inspiring the next generation of students considering careers in the media and creative industries.

If you are a Berwick College alum or know an alum with a great story to share, we would love to hear from you. Please reach out to our Alumni Program Coordinator, Jessica, to get involved – alumni@berwickcollege.vic.edu.au