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Old Fintonians Alumni
24 ALUMNI
Fintona File
| Spring / Summer 2021 FINTONIANS’
OLD
UPCOMING OFA EVENTS
The Fintona community is saddened to learn of the passing of the following Old Fintonian.
Sandra Dean (Jenkins ’57)
14/5/21
Reunions postponed from 2020 and ’21 have been rescheduled and all dates are subject to COVID restrictions permitting gatherings to go ahead.
REUNIONS 2022 Class of 2021
Welcome Back Morning Tea Friday 25 February, 10.30am
Class of 2015 Class of 2016 Class of 2017
5 Year Reunion Friday 4 March, 6.30pm — 8.30pm
Class of 1992
30 Year Reunion Friday 25 March, 6.30pm — 8.30pm
Class of 1980 Class of 1981 Class of 1982
40 Year Reunion Saturday 7 May, 12.00 noon
Class of 1972
50 Year Reunion Saturday 21 May, 12 noon
Class of 2002
20 Year Reunion Friday 29 July, 6.30pm — 8.30pm
Class of 2010 Class of 2011 Class of 2012
10 Year Reunion Friday 26 August, 6.30pm — 8.30pm
INTERSTATE/COUNTRY REUNIONS WA
Saturday 7 May
NSW/ACT
Thursday 8 September
VIC
North East Victoria (Benalla) TBC
QLD
Saturday 22 October
SA
November — TBC
SPECIAL EVENTS OFA Golf Day — TBC
Blue and Gold Luncheon Pre 1970 leavers
Friday 2 September, 12 noon
SHARE YOUR NEWS
We love to share special and significant achievements of Old Fintonians. Please send your news to Kate McPhee, Community and Communications Coordinator at kmcphee@fintona.vic.edu.au.
JOIN THE OFA FACEBOOK GROUP
Please join the Old Fintonians’ Alumni Facebook Group at www.facebook.com/ groups/ofafintona to keep up to date with Alumni news including reunion dates and photos.
REUNIONS Queensland Reunion
Saturday 23 October, 2021
L — R: Michelle Harris (’62), Daniele Williams (Lucovich ’60), Mary Cameron (Haywood ’58), Adele Outteridge (Samuel ’63), Angela Goldman (Fergie ’77), Jaqueline Fullard (Robson ’84), Annette Ford (Haywood ’77), Jenny Bakken (Moore ’61), Helen Jane (’78)
NEWS OF OLD FINTONIANS
GROUND-BREAKING EPILEPSY RESEARCH
After graduating from Fintona in 2013, Old Fintonian, Lauren Bleakley completed a Bachelor of Science Degree with Honours from the University of Melbourne. She is now a scientific researcher and PhD student at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health.
For the past few years, Lauren has been researching the treatment of a rare and severe form of epilepsy caused by a genetic mutation in the HCN1 gene. In a world-first project, the laboratory Lauren works at generated a mouse model with the mouse version of the epilepsy mutation, so that its brain activity, behaviour, and responses to anti-epileptic drugs could be studied. Lauren’s research aims to answer two key questions: one, how do HCN1 mutations cause epilepsy; and two, what are the best ways of treating this condition. By determining effective treatments, it is hoped the damaging roundabout of medication trial and errors can be avoided.
‘I find scientific research incredibly rewarding because your work can have real, tangible benefits to peoples’ lives,’ said Lauren.
‘I also love the fact that every day is a challenge; from learning how to run new experiments in the lab, to keeping abreast of all the latest research in the field and collaborating with people from varied backgrounds all around the world. Research is always exciting because discoveries are often just around the corner, and you never know if today will be the day that you figure something out that makes a difference,’ she said.
Reflecting on her time at Fintona, Lauren says that she was always interested in science and enjoyed studying biology, chemistry and psychology for VCE. She says she was very fortunate to have several great teachers including Ms Dianne Bereza, Ms Julie Goldsworthy, and Ms Lisa Broben who built her confidence, encouraged her curiosity and she would not be where she is today without their influence.
Congratulations Lauren on leading this ground-breaking research and for recently submitting your final thesis for your PhD. To read more about the research, an article that appeared in the Herald Sun can be accessed at:
www.florey.edu.au/about/news-media/ meet-the-florey-researchers-working-togive-4-year-old-ebony-and-other-childrenwith-rare-genetic-epilepsies-a-better-lifethrough-world-first-research
Congratulations to Old Fintonian, Dana Fleming (’88) on her appointment as Deputy Electoral Commissioner at the Victorian Electoral Commission.
After graduating from The University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree, Dana worked in the corporate sector specialising in the taxation of superannuation funds and managed investments. In addition to several international roles, her most recent corporate position was leading KPMG Australia’s Asset and Wealth Management tax practice. Four years ago, she joined the Australian Taxation Office as Assistant Commissioner. As Deputy Electoral Commissioner, Dana is leading the planning of all State, local government and commercial elections, and managing the Commission’s engagement with the Parliament’s oversight body, the Electoral Matters Committee. Dana also manages the Commission’s work with other Australian electoral authorities and local stakeholders to ensure continuous innovation in electoral program delivery.
Dana is immediate past Chair of the Fintona Board of Management and is also a current parent.
LORD MAYOR’S COMMENDATION
Congratulations to Old Fintonian, Georgie Stayches (’93) who is a recipient of the 2021 Lord Mayor’s Commendations that recognises small businesses that have operated continuously within the City of Melbourne for at least ten years.
In 2009, Georgie launched Fetching Events & Communications, a boutique agency specialising in end-to-end management of live, hybrid and virtual events, campaign and project delivery, volunteer engagement and communications. Since then, Georgie and the Fetching team have helped bring to life various exciting projects for nongovernment organisations, community services, profit-for-purpose, education, and sporting associations, and she was always driven by a commitment to making a real difference in the community. Clients have included Make-A-Wish Australia, Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (VIC), Australian Paralympic Committee, Bastille Day French Festival and Crime Stoppers Victoria.
‘Being a small business owner can be the most challenging and rewarding adventure,’ said Georgie.
‘The last 18 months have been the most challenging for any business owner, especially if you specialise in events — an industry heavily impacted by COVID. With the challenges though also come the rewards, rewards that are even sweeter in the tough times This commendation is the culmination of a wild dream, a clear vision, lots of hard work, moments of doubt, moments of inspiration, moments of joy, crazy challenges, rewarding highs and everything and anything in between,’ said Georgie.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW
SUSIE MCKEON
(WOODHOUSE) CLASS OF 1980 If you were a student in the seventies at Fintona, you would probably recall Susie Woodhouse dominating swimming events at House Swimming Carnivals.
Susie started at Fintona in Year 1 and had a strong family connection to the School with her mother, Jenny Woodhouse (Shipley ’55), aunt, Margaret Hatty (Woodhouse ’58) cousins, Janie Perrott (Woodhouse ‘79) and Debbie Grooby (Woodhouse ‘80) and sisters, Mandy McMahon (Woodhouse ’85) and Cathy Hunt (Woodhouse ’88) also attending the School. In Year 12, Susie was School Swimming Captain.
Susie recalls that Fintona was very supportive of her passion for swimming. ‘I think they even changed the date of the Swimming Carnival one year to cater for my swimming commitments,’ said Susie.
‘Miss Butt was always a great supporter of sport and was so interested in whatever we were achieving. She continued to follow my career, and that of my brother, Rob Woodhouse (1984 and ’88 Olympian) and then of my children, David and Emma. She called me in 2016 when I was at the Olympic Trials and my children had just been selected in the Australian team for the Rio Olympics. I was so honored for her to call me.’ After completing Year 12, Susie graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the Australian National University (ANU) whilst also holding a scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) as part of the initial intake of scholarship holders.
According to Susie, swimming was different back in the 1980s. ‘It was certainly wasn’t something you could make a career of. The ’80s was probably the start; when sports administrators introduced sports science and international travel opportunities to make it a professional sport to keep athletes involved post high school.
‘At the same time, it was very much an uneven playing field with the Eastern Bloc Nations dominating everything and using performance enhancing substances to do so. I think we were all naive or believed there was nothing we could do so we just ignored it,’ said Susie.
For Susie, a standout swimming highlight was the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane where she was able to march in the opening ceremony in front of her family. Another highlight was when she won the 100m and 200m Butterfly events at the World University Games in Edmonton, Canada in 1983.
Susie moved to Wollongong in 1987 with her future husband, Ron who she had met at the Brisbane Commonwealth Games. After working in Community Services for the Wollongong City Council, Susie and Ron set up McKeon’s Swim School in 1990 with two staff members. Today, the Swim School operates out of three venues and has 90 staff teaching around 4500 swimming lessons a week.
Whilst it was disappointing for Susie and her family to be unable to attend this year’s Tokyo Olympics to cheer and support Emma, it was also a very proud time for the family with Emma’s record-breaking medal tally of 11 medals making her Australia’s most successful Olympian ever. ‘We organised a week-long watch party in our home in with friends and family. In the end it was just the household yelling and screaming at the TV for each of her races. Although, I think most of Australia joined us in our lounge room the day Emma became Olympic Champion and won the 100m freestyle,’ said Susie.
‘When Emma left for Tokyo, we knew she was in the form of her life, but never imagined it would play out like it did and she would step up in every event the way she did,’ said Susie.
When asked what her message to current students at Fintona would be, Susie said, ‘Whatever path you choose, enjoy it. Be proud of whatever you do, make the most of any opportunity, but most of all be kind — to yourself and to others.’
RACHAEL BEESLEY
CLASS OF 1986 Rachael’s family has a long and proud association with Fintona as her mother Helen Beesley (Wright ’46), sister, Shauna Beesley (’81) and aunts all attended the School. ‘I have always been guided and encouraged by my family who all have outrageously good memories and verve for life, and notably by my older sister, Shauna who is an inspiration both musically and academically,’ said Rachael.
Rachael spent both her Junior and Secondary school years at Fintona. From Year 1, she began competitive Calisthenics in which she participated throughout school and tertiary studies. At the young age of six, she began learning the violin and music has been her constant and true source of meaning and means of a livelihood throughout her adulthood.
Shakespeare Day, Ancient Greek Day, Netball, Madrigals, Choir and Orchestra as well as violin, piano and music theory lessons were all important parts of her school curriculum, as well as performing for school assembly, concerts and speech nights. After Year 12, Rachael attended the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne and completed a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a Graduate Diploma of Arts in Music and a Master of Music at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, The Netherlands. Based in Europe for over 14 years, Rachael returned to Australia in 2009 and has performed as guest concertmaster with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Opera Australia and Victorian Opera. Rachael has also directed from the violin, the Tasmanian and Canberra Symphony Orchestras, Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, as guest concertmaster with Orchestra Victoria and has performed with the Melbourne and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras and Australian Chamber Orchestra.
Rachael is Co-Artistic Director, Director and Concertmaster of the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra and Co-Director of the Young Mannheim Symphonists music education program, continuing the founding artistic director, the late Richard Gill’s passion for, and advocacy of music education. As a highly regarded and much sought-after teacher and mentor at the Melbourne and Sydney Conservatoriums of Music, and the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, The Netherlands, Rachael specialises in the fields of Historically Informed Performance and Practicing in Flow.
‘As a performing musician, I am constantly studying and researching composers and the performance practices of the times, as well as discovering and rediscovering repertoire on period instruments. By learning and absorbing the history of music, I enjoy the challenges this creates and the versatility this gives to me as a performer to inspire and enlighten audiences,’ said Rachael.
According to Rachael, ‘my teachers and my parents have always been incredibly supportive and encouraging of all my endeavours, whether assignments for music, art, social studies, chemistry or geography, bringing theory into practice was crucial to my learning pathways.’
I also appreciated the pure enthusiasm and joy for music-making I received from former music director at Fintona, Mr. Mark Ratican, while my association with Camberwell Grammar School through the School musicals and Year 12 orchestral music studies enabled me to expand my horizons, said Rachael.
With the lifting of COVID restrictions and live performance, education programs and touring by the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra starting up again, Rachael is looking forward to reconnecting with her colleagues and live audiences. Rachael is also planning to return to Europe and the United States to continue her international performing, directing and music education work.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW
DR VIOLET KIEU
CLASS OF 2001 Fintona taught Violet both the beauty of science, and the importance of arts. Her profession is medicine, as a fertility specialist but she also has a passion for writing.
Violet started at Fintona in Year 5 and was encouraged to pursue a wide range of co-curricular activities including hockey, (after school, in the rain), debating, as well as being involved in the library as a book monitor. In Year 12 Violet was Boyne House Co-Captain.
After leaving school, Violet entered the University of Melbourne and graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine/Surgery, and Bachelor of Medical Science in 2007. She was awarded the Royal Children’s Hospital Vernon Collins Prize for Paediatrics. Violet also holds a Masters in Reproductive Medicine, with Excellence, from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and is a Clinical Lecturer at the School of Medicine at the University of Melbourne.
Violet has worked in Paediatric Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and is now the Reproductive Services Fellow at the Royal Women’s Hospital. Her unit performs the only public In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) service in Victoria. ‘This role includes fertility preservation for people with cancer, helping freeze eggs, embryos, sperm, as well as ovarian and testicular tissue, for the future,’ said Violet.
Violet says that what inspired her initially was the intersection between birth, women’s health, and surgery but what motivates her now are the patients, and an attempt to help with their fertility journey.
During her time at Fintona, Violet felt mentored by her mathematics teacher Mrs Jenny Sharwood OAM. Mrs Sharwood led the Future Problem-Solving team, where Violet’s team reached the National Finals, as well as the Science Talent Search, where the girls won a minor prize for their board game ‘Into Digestion’. Best of all, Mrs Sharwood took the class to a tour of the Cadbury Chocolate Factory!
In the arts, highlights were Shakespeare Day, where Violet remembers dressing up as a witch running up the stairs of the beautiful Quad (bubble, bubble, toil, and trouble!), creating a decoupage framed mirror (which she still has today), and receiving the 2001 Boroondara Literature Award for Senior Prose. ‘I continue to write personal essays, with mentorships from the Australia Society of Authors and ACT Writer’s HARDCOPY, and was Highly Commended in the 2020 Alan Russel Award for Memoir,’ said Violet.
Memories of Fintona bring back great nostalgia for Violet, providing both a balm and source of resilience in these COVID times. She recently attended her 20 year school reunion, a delightful face-to-face meeting of old friends.
Her everyday reality now is that hospitals have moved towards rationalisation of operating lists, so she is working within the re-distribution of the precious resources of people and energy.
Violet’s message to current students is ‘make time for the multitudes of you; your creative expression is just as wonderful as your productive self’.
WEILYNN TAN CLASS OF 2011
Weilynn Tan from the Class of 2011 lives in the United States and is the Head of App Market and Strategic Partnership Growth at a FinTech company.
After studying a double Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Law Degree at Monash University, Weilynn worked as an Industrial Relations and Employment Law Paralegal then as a Corporate Litigation Paralegal. She soon realised that the legal field wasn’t for her and began helping small businesses with their social media, events, marketing, business strategy and growth. ‘This is when I recognized that I really liked helping small businesses grow and that I liked building strategies for growth,’ said Weilynn.
In 2014, Weilynn relocated to San Francisco and started working for a tech start-up owned by the Financial Times. She then moved to Clover Networks, a cloud-based point of sale platform that provides hardware and software to equip small business owners with the right systems so that they can do what they do best, their business.
After a time in a Product Strategy role in charge of the App Market, Weilynn was promoted to her current role. ‘I look after all global strategic partnerships and drive revenue growth through business and product strategies which require business development, negotiating legal commercial terms and ideate, and building and deploying programs to increase revenue,’ said Weilynn.
‘I enjoy the fast-paced atmosphere and love that I’m working on a product that hundreds of thousands of small businesses are using to help run their business.’
‘The best thing that prepared me for my career is not the end outcome but all the brainstorming, strategy, planning, and teamwork that’s required to execute a final project or a team exercise. Being able to recognize people’s strengths and build a plan to achieve a goal is a skill that I’ve taken from School to my career. Fintona’s small class sizes nurtured this method of thinking and learning. It equipped me with the ability to work cross-functionally, build teams and processes and then scale for growth,’ she said.
At Fintona, Weilynn loved trying new things and was involved in debating, cross country, community service, and soccer. She credits all her teachers with giving her the resources that she needed to excel and reminding her that through all the doubt she had, she could still do what she wanted to do if she put her mind to it.
Whilst moving and working abroad comes with many challenges including visa applications, lawyers, and navigating new foreign systems, Weilynn says it’s certainly been worth it and very exciting despite not being able to travel or visit home during COVID.
‘Mind over matter. Your brain is your strongest muscle. Be ambitious, keep persevering and stay positive,’ is Weilynn’s message to current students at Fintona.
