OUR ALUMNAE - A COMMUNITY OF BELONGING

Community is a place of belonging, a place where people are earthed and find their identity. - Jean Vanier

Amelia Tan | Events and Alumnae Relations Coordinator

When I started working at Genazzano three years ago, one of the things that immediately struck me was the strong sense of community. I met various types of people connected to the College in my time as Events Coordinator; warm colleagues, welcoming families, remarkable students and sincere Alumnae.

After recently becoming the Events and Alumnae Relations Coordinator, I thought it was important to introduce myself to you all. Unfortunately, I am not a Gen Alumna but have attended all-girls Catholic schools my whole life and know the experience well. I also have strong alumna pride for my alma mater as all the women on my mother’s side of the family went to the same school. The experience is so unique where you get to build such strong bonds. It really helped form the type of person I am and I believe your Genazzano experience has done the same for many of you.

I love Genazzano’s rich history and how its values, so deeply ingrained in the community, has produced such strong women. I would love to get to know each of you and hear your stories; past, current and even future - it would be great to build on the Alumnae network’s sisterhood.

More importantly, I look forward to engaging our community together with our Alumnae Association President, Emily Biasotto (2012). In working closely with Emily, I discovered how passionate we both are about connection and belonging, so I took the opportunity to interview her and find out more about what makes a Gen girl tick.

Tell me more about your experience at Gen.

I started in Year 7 at Gen in 2007 and graduated in 2012. My time at Gen was very enjoyable. I loved school. I am definitely a keen learner (I’m still studying) and Gen really allowed me to flex this muscle. As a whole, my experience of Gen was probably quite similar to most other Gen Girls, so I’ll share a few of my favourite memories:

1.

2. I was a rower from Year 8 until Year 12. Nothing prepared me for the challenges of life like rowing did. Training many times per week and staring down the ergo screen before a test pushed me to my limit many times. But I am so grateful I was able to be a part of such a strong squad that continually demanded excellence. Furthermore, the friends I made are still my friends today. Let’s face it, you create a unique connection with people who have seen you at your very best and your very worst.

In Year 12, I had Mrs Patterson for both Methods and Specialist Maths and not only did she teach me a lot about Maths but she also taught me a lot about life. She always urged us to give something a go, even if we thought we might get it wrong, because that is the best way to learn. The catch phrase I always carry with me is “if you write nothing, you get nothing”. This was talking about exams and tests but it carries a lot of truth if applied to life. If you don’t contribute or put any effort 3. in, you’re not going to get anything out of it!

In general, I look back fondly on recesses and lunchtimes sitting in the Atrium or outside in front of the d’Houet Building, or on the grass near the front gates, chatting and laughing with friends and deciding who had the best lunch that day.

4. Life Is Excellent Day, started in 2010 which we then carried on to 2012. It was a busy few days leading up to it but the new Life Is Excellent Day Breakfast with pancakes was a real highlight, as well as having all the Year 12s to make cupcakes and Gen cookies to give out to the rest of the school.

5. Playing netball on Saturdays was also a massive highlight. I did this from Year 7 all the way through to Year 12 and I absolutely loved finishing the week with a netball game!

All in all, my experience at Gen was a very positive one and I look back fondly on my time as a Genazzano student.

Why do you love it? What makes Gen so different? I suppose primarily I love Genazzano because I spent so much time there in my formative years and it has a comforting familiarity to me. I do also love that Genazzano is an FCJ school. Marie Madeleine is a beautiful example of a strong, independent woman and I love that it is she whose footsteps we are following. Since it was founded, Genazzano has been led by a woman and I love this championing of female leaders.

Since leaving school and meeting people who went to different schools, the aspect of Genazzano that I am most grateful for is this sense of belonging. That no matter where you go, what you do or who you become, the fact that you once wore the

burgundy, navy and white, means you are a part of something special. It’s a sense of community that I think is so important, especially in a world that is becoming more and more disconnected.

How did you become President of the Association?

At the 2019 AGM, it was asked if there were any nominees for President. With some encouragement from other committee members, I decided to nominate. It was a very spur of the moment decision. I was then successfully voted in and left the AGM as the new President of the Genazzano Alumnae Association.

What is your vision for the Alumnae Association?

For me, connection is the ultimate vision for the Association. I think connection is the most important part of being a human. We need to be connected to ourselves, to the people around us and to the environment. As a community of Alumnae, the thing I want most is for each Gen Girl who has left the College to feel like she is still connected to Genazzano, in whatever capacity feels right for her.

In line with this vision for connection, I envisage creating more frequent opportunities for Alumnae to meet. While I think large events are important, in life, the things we do every day are far more important than the things we do once in a while. Therefore, my priority is creating initiatives which create weekly, fortnightly or monthly opportunities for Alumnae to connect with each other. The first one in the pipeline is an Alumnae Netball Team (or multiple teams). Other activities like choirs, book clubs, running groups, networking events are all on the horizon too, but obviously everything is subject to restrictions.

What always amazes you about our Alumnae network?

I love that no matter the difference in age, there is a wonderful understanding between two Gen Girls. I have connected with Gen Girls far older and far younger than me and it amazes me how strong the similarities are between us, just because we both went to Genazzano. Being a Gen Girl is wonderful basis for strong connection and community and this is something I am very grateful to be a part of.

What is a Gen Girl?

When I was at school, the buzz words were Courage and Confidence, as well as Love of Learning. I think a Gen Girl is a woman who embodies these qualities. To me, courage looks like pushing the boundaries and going after what is true to you, especially if it doesn’t align with the norm or what the societal rulebook says you ‘should’ be doing. Confidence is about knowing that no matter what, you have always got whatever it is you need inside you and you always have your own back no matter what challenges you face. A Love of Learning is about always being curious and interested in expanding knowledge and wisdom. In combination, courage, confidence and a love of learning are about not accepting what you are told but actually being brave enough to question everything and inform yourself so that you can confidently make your own decision. At this time in our lives and in history, these qualities have never been more important. These qualities are about taking ownership of our own lives and stories and not settling for a path that has been laid out for us!

A side note: when I was in Year 11 and Mrs Cowling spoke to us prior to nominating for leadership roles, she talked about how Jesus, although praised now as a wonderful human being and embodiment of love, was actually a radical in his time. She spoke to us about how being a leader is about doing the right thing and not necessarily being liked for it (and obviously Jesus is an extreme example of that). A Gen Girl is a leader who strives for what is right.

What are some of your plans for the future?

I am currently studying a Bachelor of Health Science (Chinese Medicine) at the Southern School of Natural Therapies. I should be finished in 2023 and after that I intend to practice as a Chinese Medicine Practitioner. At this point, that is the only clear cut plan for the future. If this year has taught me anything, it’s that flowing with life is the best thing to do to ensure you make it!

Do you have anything else to share with our Alumnae?

Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the Alumnae Committee: Catherine Etty-Leal (immediate Past-President), Sarah Cass (Treasurer), Melina Abbey, Claire Walpole, Alice Whelan and Stephanie Johnston for being awesome women to work with and for always having excellent ideas for where to take this Association.

Secondly, I want our Alumnae to know that I am very keen to make sure that all Alumnae feel included and excited about the opportunities to connect with each other. The catch here of course is that to do this effectively, I need to know what you would enjoy participating in. So, I finish on a question to all Gen Alumnae: what sort of events/experiences/opportunities get you excited and interested in being more involved in our community?

Contact with us via email at alumnae@genazzano.vic.edu.au.

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@genazzanoalumnae

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