Humans of Carey
Belen Cao Accounts Payable Officer
Belen’s daughter, Claire, who is in Year 2 at Carey.
It was a bright autumn morning when I walked up the ramp next to Sandell Oval for my job interview at Carey. Children were running and cheering on the grassy ground. I was fascinated by the environment and the way this school presented herself – a place and space full of energy and vitality. My previous working experience was mostly in Beijing, in a typical corporate setting. This school environment was impressively different, and it filled me with curiosity.
I
have been living in Australia for 10 years. My husband and I love the lifestyle here. We enjoy travelling, camping and hiking when we can, but cooking has recently been added to the list of my hobbies during the lockdowns. Our daughter, Claire (pictured), is a proud Carey girl. She started here in Prep and is now in Year 2. People often say that time flies when you’re having fun. That has certainly been the case for me in the Accounts
Office at Carey: I can’t believe it is already my fourth year working here. It is so rewarding to be able to work with a group of such incredible people in the Accounts team. I often feel that we are like family members or close friends, there are always heartwarming moments and so much laughter. I particularly enjoy my fellow team members explaining funny English idioms to me, such as ‘a bee in your bonnet’, ‘knock your socks off’ and ‘doozy’. This sometimes involves teamwork, one person trying to think of a good example and another trying to acting it out!
I am so pleased by how much Claire truly enjoys her time at school. She has made so many lovely friends and has great teachers. You might have even seen her on the Carey website homepage and the August page of the 2021 Carey calendar! It is amazing to see her learning and growing in an environment I am part of and have such confidence in.
As a parent and a staff member, I am impressed by the emphasis Carey places on individual wellbeing, the enthusiastic and caring teachers, and the wide variety of programs. We have attended nearly all of the school musicals in the last four years and loved them so much. Even after all these years, Claire and I are constantly learning new things about Carey!
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