16 minute read
Staying in touch with our alumni
OLIVIA EADE (CLASS OF 2018)
What are you currently studying and at which university? I’m currently studying Medicine in my fourth year at UTAS’ Rural Clinical School, which is based in Burnie. This year involves mainly clinical placements across the Northwest Coast in hospitals such as the Northwest Regional in Burnie and Mersey in Latrobe, as well as primary care placements in towns scattered across the north of the state.
Why did you choose this pathway? I was always really interested in science at school and am an inquisitive person. As I gained experience in administering first aid through surf lifesaving, I really enjoyed the idea of something exciting, hands-on and involving patients that combined my love for learning, and I found medicine to be the best fit.
How did you find the transition from school to university life? The transition from school to university definitely had its challenges. Initially, I found it difficult to deal with a more intense study load and being in a new environment where I had to make new friends and be more outgoing, in comparison to the very comfortable environment of St Mary’s College. I’m having to continually adapt to find a good work-life balance and maintain my studies, while at the same time not letting myself get too burnt out. The disruption to learning due to COVID-19 made it difficult to separate work from home, where I was often on the computer watching lectures for countless hours a day. Being at UTAS, I was lucky that we rapidly returned to face-to-face learning and that most things are relatively back to ‘normal’. What are your career aspirations for the future? My hope is to graduate Medicine to become an intern somewhere exciting, perhaps in a rural community. Eventually, I would like to become a general practitioner or gynaecologist, but the area I want to go into tends to change all the time as I start learning about different fields. There’s no doubt that COVID-19 has, and is continuing to have, a profound impact on people’s lives and livelihoods. What affect has the pandemic had on your current studies, and how have you overcome these challenges? COVID-19 has presented many challenges for my studies. During the major lockdown in 2020, all my teaching and learning moved online, including dissections and other practical, hands-on activities which were reduced to Powerpoints. As second year was very content heavy, I spent over five hours a day watching lectures and ‘attending’ tutorials that would usually be held in person. I was lucky though that as soon as the initial lockdown period lifted, all the practical components, including placements, returned to face-to-face teaching. This is my second year doing placements and fortunately, unlike other medical schools on the mainland, I haven’t had to miss out on them due to COVID-19.
The pandemic also made it challenging to manage screen fatigue and the risk of burning out. I try to overcome this by making sure I get outside a lot, exercise and go into uni or to the library to study. This, however, continues to be an ongoing struggle for me and something I am striving to become better at.
Thinking back to your years as a school student, what is your strongest memory of your time at St Mary’s College? My strongest memory of my time at St Mary’s was Year 11 and 12. These were my most exciting years at school where I got to study more interesting subjects and had the most fun with my friends. Additionally, it was the time where I was the most involved with the College community through extracurricular activities such as band and sports, as well as through groups like the Prefects and Vinnies. What advice would you give to current students?
My advice to current students is to not take yourself too seriously and give everything a go. In my younger years of high school, I didn’t participate as much as I should have in extra-curricular activities as I was worried about what people thought about me. Eventually, however, I found that the best things I did at school were those that I put effort into and that weren’t necessarily the ‘coolest’. I think it all comes down to having a good attitude and being willing to take every opportunity that is presented to you, as you never know what could turn out to be something really amazing.
Staying in touch with OUR ALUMNI
SHEWIT BELAY (CLASS OF 2014)
Can you take us through your education and/or training pathway to where you are today?
My journey since graduating from St Mary’s College has been eventful, to say the least! After Year 12, I moved to Townsville to pursue my medical studies at James Cook University. I spent four years in Townsville, followed by 18 months in Mackay and then another five months in the Torres Strait for my final medical rotation as a student.
In 2021, I started working as a junior doctor at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital – a challenging but fulfilling experience, especially in the time of COVID-19. I also started working towards my Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Juggling work and study – particularly in my last year – has been very busy, but I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to broaden my skills and knowledge.
Have you always wanted to pursue a degree in this field? Who inspired or motivated you along the way?
Although I was both academically and musically inclined, I made the decision to pursue mainly science and maths subjects from Year 10 onwards. Around this time, I had been taught by some phenomenal science teachers at St Mary’s, two of whom were women. Seeing their commitment to teaching and how that translated into a positive learning environment for me and my peers was a big motivator. Women are, or have been, at least, underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and medicine. I am grateful that my learning environment empowered me to engage with these subjects despite this. am currently in rehearsals for the show. It’s a big change from my previous job but I’m grateful that I can pursue music in the current climate. I plan to continue working on my Masters and look forward to keeping in touch with my medical side in this way.
You attended St Mary’s College from 2003-2014. What did you most enjoy about your time as a student here?
My family is also a significant source of inspiration. My mother always prioritised education and many sacrifices were made by my parents to allow me to complete my schooling undisturbed. The opportunities I have had to study and work I attribute to them completely.
To a large extent, arriving in Australia as a refugee with my immediate family has also coloured my ambitions. There are many ways that refugees have been portrayed in the media with many of these images being negative. I refuse to subscribe to this, and this fuels my determination to exceed the expectations placed on me simply because I am a refugee.
Although I consider myself Australian, I am also a proud Eritrean, and I would like to return to Eritrea to work in the future. I never met him, but the legacy of my late uncle, Dr Semere Fre (a graduate of the Addis Ababa University School of Medicine), is something I endeavour to continue. The likes of Dr Catherine Hamlin, Dr Andrew Browning and Dr Fred Hollows, all of whom have worked in East Africa, are also some of the people from whom I draw my inspiration.
What are your next steps for 2022?
I’m extremely excited to be joining the Australian cast of Hamilton and Although there were a lot of changes over the 12 years I was at St Mary’s, there were some things that remained the same. One of these was the pastoral care element that was included in our schooling. It contributed to the sense of a familiar, close-knit school community that promoted a culture of friendship and inclusiveness. I’d like to think that I still carry those values and that culture with me wherever I go.
What are your passions/interests outside of study and work?
Outside of my day-to-day, I enjoy spending time with my family, seeing and playing live music, food, skin care, reading and walks along any body of water (but to be honest, the Brisbane River has nothing on the Derwent).
What advice would you give to current students?
1. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it – there is no shame in recognising when something is beyond your abilities and getting back-up. 2. Grab opportunities with both hands and keep a steady grip!
Staying in touch with OUR ALUMNI
SHELLEY MACLEOD (CLASS OF 1975)
Shelley Macleod is celebrating her retirement after 20 years of dedicated service to St Mary’s. A much-loved teacher at the College and a great ambassador for languages, Shelley taught Chinese in the Senior School and Japanese across Prep to Year 12. She also spent some time abroad teaching English in China and Japan. Following in her mother’s footsteps, Shelley’s daughter, Millie Macleod (class of 2013) studied Japanese and Italian at St Mary’s before going on to study Chinese and Danish at Melbourne’s Monash University, where she completed a Bachelor of Global Studies in 2017.
You have a long-standing connection with St Mary’s College as an alumna, parent and teacher, which is quite remarkable. What was it like returning to teach at the College in 2001? I hadn’t actually thought I would be returning to the College after my school days. Teaching wasn’t a career I had considered pursuing until my return to university to study languages. This eventually led to teaching and back to St Mary’s. Returning in 2001 was a great feeling. Walking around the school brought back many memories and I was pleasantly surprised by the brightly painted walls (very different to the more traditional bland tones in my day) and good atmosphere. It was lovely to find quite a few from my era as a student back teaching as well. I was welcomed by all staff, but especially by the wonderful Presentation Sisters.
You hold a Bachelor of Arts degree and Bachelor of Education degree in Asian Languages. Had you always wanted to pursue a career in education and, in particular, as a language teacher? My journey to a career in education began with my desire to go back to university to study languages. I hadn’t set out to become a teacher, but my studies led me there. After first graduating with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Japanese and Indonesian, with my family I headed to Aomori in the north of Japan where I worked in education for two years. I returned to Hobart and decided that education and teaching languages was where I wanted to be and so, went on to complete a Bachelor of Education.
memories of many fun times in class; of the amazing students I have had the privilege of teaching, sharing in their language learning journeys and, in recent years, my wonderful Homeroom. Of course, the school trips to Japan and China are amongst my fond memories, as well as the wonderful exchanges we set up with our sister cities in Japan and China in conjunction with Hobart City. I have some wonderful friendships at the College especially with those associated with the Languages department. We worked hard together over the years, had some great times with lots of laughter and shared successes, and supported one another when needed. I know these friendships will endure. The SMC community is caring and compassionate and I hope to remain a part of it always. A lot has changed at St Mary’s since the start of your career, from the buildings and grounds to advancements in technology and most recently, due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Is there a ‘defining’ moment or experience that you would say helped shape your career or impacted you on a personal and/ What are some of your fondest or professional level? memories of your time at St Mary’s College? I feel that the smarter we get, the busier we become and so many jobs, Watching the first moon landing! including the teaching profession, Crowded into a Junior School have changed immensely over the classroom, my classmates and I piled years. Keeping up with change has in, sat wherever we could find room had its challenges though – it has and watched on what was probably been good for language teaching the only TV in the Junior School. The and learning with greater access friendships from my school days are to authentic and contemporary something I also treasure. resources. For me, moving into As a parent, I remember watching my daughter, Millie, flourish, encouraged by wonderful SMC teachers, many of whom are still teaching there today. She was so proud to be Junior School Captain in Year 6 (or Head Prefect of the Junior School as the lovely Sally Haig, then Head of Humanities, used to say). We got to go on a school trip to Japan together as well. I so loved teaching at St teaching the Senior year levels impacted me on a personal and professional level. The change from Japanese to Chinese as our Asian language, for a few years teaching both during the transition, was a time of big change in my career. Preparing the girls for tertiary study of Japanese and then Chinese was an extremely rewarding aspect of my job. Mary’s. I look back and have happy Above: Shelley with daughter Millie.
Staying in touch with OUR ALUMNI
CONTINUED
In March last year you received the 2020 Supervising Teacher of the Year Award from UTAS in recognition of your outstanding contribution to the university’s education program. Can you tell us a bit more about your work in this space? I felt honoured to have been nominated for this award and, of course, thrilled to have been selected. Between 2016 and 2021, I mentored 11 preservice teachers. I felt that it was very important for me, as an experienced teacher, to mentor and nurture those aspiring to teach, especially in my field of language teaching. However, it is not a one-way street! We learn from each other. It is extremely important to work closely together on the lesson planning, delivery and then reflection and feedback. Yes, I was the mentor and teacher, but I always learned something from each student through the collaboration, observations and discussions. All were valuable experiences for me and my practice as a teacher and I hope so too for my preservice teachers. Casting your mind back to your school days, was there a teacher who inspired you as a student? Yes, and it was Sister Julianne Tapping. Her beautiful nature and constant encouragement to strive to improve and do my best is something that has inspired me personally and will stay with me always. There are other teachers to whom I am grateful for my education, but Sister Julianne is the one who not only taught but inspired me. I do hope that I have inspired some students over the years in this way.
Your daughter Millie is also a proud SMC alumna! What has she been up to since hanging up her green blazer?
Millie went off to university to do International Studies and took opportunities for exchange and study abroad to experience and immerse in different cultures and enhance her language studies. She completed an intensive semester at Shanghai University and in her final year, a semester at the University of Copenhagen. After graduating from Monash University in 2017, Millie took up a graduate position with the Commonwealth Government in the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.
Just recently, she transferred to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as Assistant Director in the Environment, Oceans and Biodiversity Section. Millie is living and working in Sydney, is studying a Master of International Law at the University of Sydney and is well and happy. Do you have any wise words for our alumni? Let’s always carry with us the Presentation charism and Christian values of compassion, hospitality and kindness as taught to us through Nano Nagle’s story and life’s work. Always be kind, to each other and to ourselves.
And…learn another language! You don’t have to become a fluent speaker, even some simple greetings and basic communication can help to make someone’s day. If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart. ~ Nelson Mandela
Staying in touch with OUR ALUMNI
NICOLE SHANNY NEE GANNON (CLASS OF 1994)
It will come as no surprise that there are many alumni amongst our teaching staff: they loved their school days so much that they wanted to come back for more!
In this edition of the Alma Mater, we feature the former Nicole Gannon, Mrs Shanny. Nicki commenced at St Mary’s College in 1985 in Year 3. At the time, Sister Barbara was Principal of the College, and Sister Marilyn and the late Sister Joseph also had roles in the school. The late Sister Ona was Principal in 1994, and Nicki still treasures fond memories of working as a Prefect with that delightful Sister.
Nicki laughingly recalls that she 'played netball badly' as her sporting contribution to school life. She also played the clarinet in the Concert Band and Jazz Band. She threw herself into the social action aspects of school as a member of Vinnies over a number of years. This led to her being appointed the charity/ mission Prefect in Year 12, and in later years to her reconnection as a member of the St Mary’s College Staff Loui’s Van Team. Nicki was committed to her studies, loving reading and spelling in her early days, and later, the opportunities to participate in school camps and class retreats. She maintains many close friendships from her time at St Mary’s and in fact now teaches next door to her old friend Jayne (Dickson) Brown! Nicki was a dedicated member of College House. She felt that she benefitted greatly from being taught by ‘so many wonderful, genuine, invested, kind and dedicated teachers’ and was inspired by them to become a teacher herself. In fact, when she had her own children, Freya and Joe, she enrolled them at St Mary’s so that they too could experience the community, guidance and enduring friendships which marked her own education.
Nicki studied teaching at UTAS, and during her final year in 1999, she was invited by the Principal of St Mary’s College, Mrs Ann Stanfield, to cover for a term during which a teacher was away. Her first year after graduation saw Nicki teaching at Immaculate Heart School, followed by an appointment to Dominic College, where she worked until 2013. In 2014, Nicki came home to St Mary’s College, where she has taught ever since.
On the day of her graduation from UTAS, Nicki became engaged to the love of her life, Phil Shanny. And who knew that 21 years later, they would both be working at the College? Phil is our amazing Murphy's Café Manager and College Sustainability Officer. Phil and Nicki are very proud of Freya, now a Year 9 student at the College, and Joe, a Year 7 student at St Virgil’s College.
Margaret Rootes Heritage Officer and Alumni Association President
Above: Nicki with daughter Freya who is currently in Year 9 at St Mary's College and also with husband Phil.
