2023 Women in Time – Inspiring Alumni

Words by Jayde Harrington

“Women in time will come to do much,” is one of the most wellknown Mary Ward quotes. This quote was truly visionary and is still a quote used to inspire students today. However, what about those during this time who have gone on to ‘do much’? Enter the Women in Time – Inspiring Alumni initiative where for the third year, we seek to celebrate the breadth of service, talent and achievements of over 148 years of graduates at Loreto College Ballarat.

This year, we had the honour of building on this initiative, inducting the following three incredible women at our International Women’s Day Breakfast in March:

Sr Trish Franklin ibvm AO

(Class of 1968) – Religious and Social Justice Leadership

Michelle Payne OAM

(Class of 2003) – Sporting Excellence, Gender Equity & Inclusion

Olivia Sellers

(Class of 2015) – Young Achiever and Entrepreneur

As an extraordinary Loreto College graduate and also a passionate Mulhallian, our first inductee was Sr Trish Franklin ibvm AO who has forged a lasting legacy. Following her time at Mary’s Mount, Sr Trish had her eyes on a career in education with a particular passion for supporting children with special needs. After working at what is now the Ballarat Specialist School, Sr Trish also decided to become a Loreto Sister. This took Sr Trish on a journey she would never forget. What initially began as volunteering at refugee camps along the Thai-Cambodian border, lead to a lifetime of dedication to supporting the poor, disabled and disadvantaged. While along the Thai-Cambodian border, Sr Trish radiated hope and supported many refugees who had suffered during the Khmer Rouge regime. Following this, Sr Trish found herself in Vietnam. It was here where she founded the Loreto Vietnam Australia Program (LVAP), helping over 90,000 poor, disadvantaged and special-needs children develop a love of learning and gain an education. Her courageous work with LVAP implemented programs across eight remote provinces where no other charities were operating, and saw her receive the Friendship Medal: the highest recognition that a foreigner can receive from the Vietnamese Government. At the Breakfast, Sr Trish reflected on some of the stories that have stuck with her over the years, the long-lasting positive impact she has seen her work and the work of the LVAP achieve.

Inducted into the category of Religious and Social Justice Leadership, Sr Trish is one of our school’s most inspirational role models, always giving her time willingly to students, alumni and the wider Loreto community, while also sharing her story and passion for helping those less fortunate.

After sharing her incredible story, a humble Sr Trish took the opportunity to lift up those around her, referencing the impact Mary Ward has on us all. Reflecting that ‘it was as if she catapulted all women to make changes in our world’ Sister Trish said. ‘We have done this, we are doing this and we will continue to do much.’

Our second inductee, Michelle Payne OAM is one woman who famously impacted society in the area of Sporting Excellence, Gender Equity & Inclusion. Michelle became a national icon when she captured the hearts of the Nation after winning the 2015 Melbourne Cup on the 100 to 1 priced Prince of Penzance. What followed was one of the most emotional moments in Australian sport where Michelle was greeted post-race by younger brother and strapper Stevie followed by her iconic ‘get stuffed’ line, targeted towards the doubters of womens’ rightful place in sport. Being the first and only female to have won the event,

Michelle’s triumph catapulted her into stardom where she is now a highly successful trainer, jockey and author. Prior to her successful racing career, Michelle joined us at Loreto College in 1998. From there, a balancing act between schooling and following her passion ensued. An example of this was shared with the Breakfast audience when a suspicious Mr Morris was concerned that Michelle had to go to the toilet so often. One day, Mr Morris caught Michelle listening to the transistor radio at her locker on one of her toilet breaks, listening to a race one her of brothers was racing in. A negotiation followed that was mutually beneficial for both Michelle and Mr Morris where Michelle would provide race recommendations and in return, Mr Morris would let Michelle use ‘the toilet’ whenever she liked.

Michelle shared that her time at the College confirmed her belief that women were capable of whatever they set their minds to, supported by role models in the likes of her strong network of Loreto friends, Mr Roger Morris and Ms Kelli Baird. By Year 9, Michelle was ready to take up a jockey apprenticeship and focus on her achieving dreams.

Since her momentous win, Michelle was awarded the highly-coveted Don Prize in 2016 for Most Inspirational Australian Athlete at the Sport Australia Hall of Fame Awards. That same year she also released her first book, ‘Life As I Know It’ which was in the Top 10 best sellers for the first six months. In 2019, her story was translated to the big screen for a major motion picture ‘Ride Like A Girl’ which was the highest-grossing Australian film that year and in 2021 was awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for services to horse racing.

Following a challenging and decorated career as a jockey and sportswoman, Michelle has since become a successful dual jockey/ trainer, establishing her own thriving racing stables and operating at the highest levels in the equestrian world.

Michelle Payne will forever be written into history books as that rare kind of icon – one who lives with gratitude and humility, and who inspires genuine equality. Her enduring love and support of her family and friends, especially her brother Stevie, has organically inspired one of the greatest stories of equality and inclusion in our time.

At our Breakfast, our final inductee for 2023 saw Olivia Sellers encourage students to ‘find your passion, run with it and fight for it’. Olivia’s passion stems from her courage as a young student to volunteer backstage for a Loreto Arts Festival in the old hall. This was a defining moment in her journey, spending her years at Loreto College assisting backstage wherever she could. Olivia’s dream was enhanced by Ms Stephanie Greet, who could see Olivia’s potential. By the end of her time at the College, Olivia had a clear dream to pursue the highly-competitive field of stage management.

Since Loreto College, Olivia has continued to make the most of every opportunity available to her. Within three years, Olivia graduated from the Western Australian Academic for Performing Arts (WAAPA) and was thrown into the world of forging a career in the Arts as the world began to tackle COVID-19. This didn’t hinder Olivia’s determination to rise to the top of the Australian Arts industry. Her talent, skills, passion, persistence and entrepreneurial spirit, has seen Olivia go from strength to strength where she has secured the coveted role of Deputy Stage Manager for Opera Australia at the Sydney Opera House.

Olivia has been determined to prove herself in this career, making her an inspiring inductee into the Young Alumni and Entrepreneur category. Olivia acknowledged the challenges in progressing in the industry at a young age but also appreciated her growth personally during these challenging times. We look forward to seeing what’s next for Olivia as she hopes to travel the world and work in theatre globally.

We also had the opportunity to recognise a senior student as part of the Women in Time celebrations with Georgia Halstead receiving the 2023 Women in Time – Student Award. Georgia is a current Year 11 student who has continued to be engaged at a high level across all aspects of College life. In both House and Year Level Committees in 2022, Georgia showed highly-developed leadership skills with her contributions being active and coherent.

Her resilience and capacity to thrive even in the face of adversity were also proven as she demonstrated her strength in Term 4 after the events of the bus accident, and her continued dedication to displaying leadership in her year level and House.

Georgia’s enthusiasm, commitment, and both leadership and teamwork skills are unmatched. Paired with her high academic achievement and consistent work ethic, this student has continually proven herself to be a dynamic young person with an extremely bright future.

The Women in Time – Inspiring Alumni initiative doesn’t stop here though. In order to continue inspiring our students in generations to come, please make sure to nominate someone who deserves to be formally recognised for their outstanding achievement and contributions to society. Nominations are open in the categories of Arts and Cultural Excellence, Sporting Excellence, Community Service Leadership, Religious and Social Justice Leadership, STEAM & Innovation Excellence, Young Achiever & Entrepreneur and the Verity Award.

Nominate someone you know for future consideration.

Please visit pastpupils.loreto.vic.edu.au for more information on the 2024 Women in Time – Inspiring Alumni process.