Avila Connect Digital Edition 1

Connect.
Digital Edition | January 2021

Rediscover Avila
College in 2021

Explore Avila College online with our latest virtual tour or come along
to one of our Open Mornings or Twilight Tours in the new year.

2021 Open Mornings Thurs 18 March | Tues 25 May | Fri 23 July | Wed 20 October
2021 Twilight Tours Wed 17 March | Mon 24 May | Thurs 22 July | Tues 19 October

| Book at avila.vic.edu.au

CONTENTS WELCOME

Avila College Principal | Dr Michelle Cotter

WELCOME 01
From the Principal 02
Continuity of Learning 04
Virtual Peer Leadership 06
Building Ballygriffin

OUR ALUMNAE

Cara Stizza 08

Patricia Nayna

Schwerdtle 10

Peta Williams

and Jacqueline Kefford 13

Margot Tanjutco 14 In a year like no other...our students, our alumnae, our staff
and families have shown that there are no better values and
Hannah Phillips 16 grounding to support us individually and collectively. Our
shared Presentation values witnessed in the story of Nano
Tamanna Kaul 18 Nagle and the Gospel values of faith, hope and love have been
a firm and lasting foundation for all people of Avila this year.
Michelle Young 20 We have seen extraordinary resilience, courage and persistence
on screens, in relationships and in learning outcomes and
Janey Hastings 23 results despite the ups and downs of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Georgia Vance 24 The stories of our alumnae captured in this publication
hearteningly tell the same narrative in many ways. Women
AVILA Archives 26 of Avila who have ventured out into the world and found
Archives their own way whilst always holding onto the spirit built
through their secondary school years at Avila. Thanks to each
of the Avila Alumnae who have shared their memories and
experiences. We love that you answer the call out for a number
of reasons. A significant one being that our present day
students draw enormous encouragement, inspiration and pride
in knowing that those who have come before them are making
a difference on the global, local and community stages.

In the year ahead we, like all others, hope for a return to
“normal” and for the health and wellbeing of all members of
our extended Avila family. If you are able to share your story so
far, please be in contact, we’d love to capture your Avila spirit in
our growing archives collection of written and oral histories.

Get Connected! Dr Michelle Cotter | Principal

Follow the latest from
Avila Alumnae on our
digital network.

Welcome Digital Edition 1

Continuity of Learning

In this year like no other our learning community pivoted, adapted and
responded to a new mode of learning with a resourceful and resilient
belief in itself and in each other.

With just a few days notice the Students and teachers pivoted, speaking competitions - we
Continuity of Learning approach adapted and created great and made it happen, whatever it was
to remote learning online from innovative new ways of learning and whenever it needed to be.
home was developed by our and teaching using various
expert teachers and leaders and platforms and online tools. Congratulations go to all of our
communicated to students and students and teachers, you truly
parents. From Google Classroom, showed the colours of Avila
Hangouts and Zoom to online flying high from our distanced
If you’d like to see the overview Parent-Student-Teacher locations.
of Avila's approach and strategy conferences from the lounge
for learning and teaching and room and virtual liturgies,
wellbeing for 2020 explained musical ensembles, fitness
click here for the video link. sessions, House Cup and public

2 Inspiring today for tomorrow Continuity of Learning

Avila Day went virtual too with
student leaders working in
collaboration with staff to develop
workshops, competitions and food
inspiration how-to sessions to make
an Avila Day @ Home as close to the
in-person experience as possible.

There is much we have learnt from
2020 and our relationships and
valuing of our connections and
reliance on each other has
strengthened. We have all concluded
that in person, in classrooms and
walking through the Charles Street
gates has never before been as
precious to us. We hope that the next
academic year is a vibrant and
colourful one and that the positive
changes that resulted from ‘going
remote’ remain but that we see each
other in person all year long!

Continuity of Learning Digital Edition 3

"During remote learning I always looked
forward to the Zooms with our peer helpers
because they were so much fun"
Hilary Roach

Virtual Peer
LEADERSHIP

4 Inspiring today for tomorrow Peer Leadership

Each year Avila College welcomes a new cohort of "Their
students into Year 7. The newest members of our encouragement
community are supported through their transition in online learning
by the Year 10 Peer Helpers. helped us build

Avila College's Peer Helper program remotely, Peer Helpers re-thought our courage
has been running for over two and re-engineered the way in which through this
decades, providing Year 7 students they delivered their interactive tough year."
with a guide, mentor and 'big sister' program with great results.
as they navigate secondary school. Isha
An integral part of the transition As a team they collectively drew Paithankar
program, Year 10 Peer Helpers work on the communication skills and
extensively throughout the year engagement techniques learnt in "We couldn't
to welcome Year 7 students, help the Peer Helper Training Program have gotten
them settle in and assist them in and pivoted into the digital space. through this year
building a connection to the school without you!"
community. Instead of face-to-face activities,
Peer Helpers Zoomed, popped into Kheli
This year, with students learning Google Classrooms and designed Samarasinghe
Kahoot quizzes building connections
and a sense of community from a
distance.

Peer Leadership Digital Edition 5

Building Ballygriffin

It is with great excitement we announce that Avila College has
been awarded a $2 million grant from the Victorian Non-Government
Schools Capital Fund towards our major building project,
The Ballygriffin Senior Learning Centre.

Ballygriffin, named in honour of encourages community education, the Ballygriffin facility
Nano Nagle’s birthplace in connections and supports has been carefully designed to
Ireland, has been purposefully independent study and research. maximise natural light,
designed as a future focused showcasing the natural
21st Century learning and This agile design approach is environment and connecting
teaching hub that holds on to reflective of contemporary seamlessly with Avila’s existing
Avila College’s campus heritage tertiary learning environments green landscape.
and identity, while taking us on and modern workplaces,
an exciting new journey. equipping students with Sustainable and healthy design
practical skills and experience features aim to reduce energy
The new facility will feature for their future. consumption and encourage
flexible spaces and zones to eco-friendly behaviours at
create a dynamic and adaptive Just as Nano Nagle, fondly school.
environment that promotes known as The Lady of the
collaborative learning, Lantern, shined a light for

6 Inspiring today for tomorrow Building Ballygriffin

Artist Impressions
Opposite | The building facade on Charles
Street. Left | The two storey hub.
Below Left | Outdoor pavillion area.
Below Right | community spaces
Above | Common area

A future oriented learning space,
the Ballygriffin facility will be an
integrated environment,
equipped with digital technology,
audio visual equipment and ICT
devices to support innovative
learning and teaching.
The Ballygriffin project is
currently in the final planning
and approval stages.
It is on track for the
commencement of building
works in early 2021 and the work
will be scheduled in a manner
designed to minimise disruption
to daily school life.

Building Ballygriffin Digital Edition 7

ALUMNAE

CARA
STIZZA

Design Director | Made For.

Tell us a little about your pathway from Avila to I really enjoyed creating better and more practical
your current role as Design Director in the spaces first, and then came the art of making
company you co-founded Made For. them look and feel a certain way to evoke
emotions in people.
Throughout school, I wasn’t always entirely sure
what I wanted to do once I finished. I had always After completing 2 years of TAFE, I enrolled myself
leaned to the more creative subjects, such as art into a Bachelor of Interior Architecture at
and photography – so I knew that I wanted to do Swinburne University. I continued to learn more
something quite hands on. I chose interior design about planning, building, construction and how to
with an idea of what it was in my head, that idea create a space from nothing. I finished my studies
being...make spaces look pretty! in 2012 and started applying for jobs. I only ended
up having one interview and eagerly accepted the
I was accepted into a Diploma of Interior Design job offer. The role was in furniture selection and
and Decoration and soon realised how much more procurement in office design. I would work alongside
there was to design than I had anticipated. This the interior designers to select all the furniture
course was perfect for me as it gave me a holistic pieces and help to design some joinery pieces, then
understanding on all aspects of design. We learnt have them delivered and installed to site. I learnt a
about different design movements throughout huge amount from this role including;
history, construction, sustainability, soft understanding a brief, working to a budget, site
furnishings and technical documentation, to name measuring, logistics and quality control.
a few things. I instantly gravitated more towards
the architecture of interiors, rather than the I was lucky enough to meet my now business
decoration side of things. partner and husband, Mitchell, while working in
that role. In 2015, we decided to start the journey
As I have a very logical way of thinking I found of working for ourselves.
that a lot of interior design was problem solving.

8 Inspiring today for tomorrow Cara Stizza

Made For started with the two of us, in our
apartment. We have now grown to a team of 8,
including interiors designers and architects. We
specialise in commercial and residential design
and project management.

Highlights?

Starting and running our own business has by far
been the biggest highlight. When you decide to
work for yourselves you are faced with so many
challenges but so many rewards. I can still
remember the feeling of walking around my first
fully completed job! Another highlight was leasing
and fitting out our own office in Collingwood. We
leased an old warehouse that was being
considered by others as a parking garage.
Transforming that space into the Made For. home
was a huge achievement. I love seeing the team
grow and work from the space every day. We were
also shortlisted for a design award this year,
which was very exciting!

Fondest memories from Avila?

I had a great experience at Avila. I loved our
classmates and can remember many fun
lunchtimes out on the ovals with all the girls. In
particular I have fond memories of Ms Kirkwood's
photography class. We were always trying new and
exciting things.

What advice would you give to Avila students
who are interested in a career in design?

Design is free and everywhere around you!!! Start
observing the world and you can learn so much.
When you walk into a space, start to recognise
details and what you love about spaces. We always
ask potential employees to talk us through some of
their favourite spaces and what they love about
them. There is inspiration to be drawn from every-
where. Design is not all just about pretty things,
although there is a large portion of that too.

I see design as a form of problem solving! Look at
how spaces flow and how they can be used more
practically.

Cara Stizza Digital Edition 9

ALUMNAE

PATRICIA
NAYNA SCHWERDTLE

Vice President of Médecins Sans Frontières Australia,
Global Health Academic, PhD Candidate

Can you tell us about your journey after Then it was time to get some international
graduating from Avila? experience, so my sisters and I sold
everything and set off for London to work
I started a double degree in Nursing and and travel. It was a bit of a cliché at the
Health Promotion at Deakin University and time – we worked until we had enough
joined the Army Reserves as a Medic. Apart money to travel and returned to London
from the obligatory marching and weapon when the money ran out. To speed up the
cleaning, we also set up field hospitals in story slightly, I later worked in hospitals in
the bush, provided medical support to Amsterdam and Munich before joining
military activities and worked with remote Médecins Sans Frontières and working in
indigenous communities. I met my future South Sudan. I had two sons and switched
husband whilst backpacking in New from clinical to academia; teaching global
Zealand and completed my graduate year at health to nurses and midwives. Last year,
St. Vincent’s Hospital in the Emergency we moved back to Germany and I started a
Department before starting a Post-Graduate PhD in climate change and health.
in Critical Care at the Austin Hospital.

10 Inspiring today for tomorrow Patricia Schwerdtle

Highlights? Nursing has changed a lot over the previous
My role as Base Nurse in South Sudan was by far decades. Nursing and midwifery is an
the most fulfilling job I have ever had. When you autonomous profession and a distinct scientific
work with MSF, you often learn more than you discipline. Nurses and midwives train, manage
teach and I benefitted from working with some and regulate themselves. They have independent
great health workers from South Sudan, Kenya and legal and ethical duties to patients, with a
Liberia. It was wonderful to see such outcomes unique focus and scope of practice, including
with such a modest input. For example, working in special expertise.
a therapeutic feeding centre, kids would come in
flat, weak and malnourished. Slowly, with a mix of You can read more about Nursing’s role in the
antibiotics, vitamins and therapeutic food you pandemic here.
would see them get their personalities back and
start to talk, laugh and play again. It was very With climate change and the degradation of
difficult to work in ICU in Europe after that – the natural systems and habitats, it is likely there
inequity was something I couldn’t reconcile. So will be more zoonotic diseases becoming
like many, that is when I got into public health, epidemics/pandemics and the next one may be
which is more about the collective good. Another more infectious and more fatal. So COVID19 was
highlight was working with the WHO in Fiji and a stress test for health systems. The extent to
joining the Board of Directors of MSF Australia. which the world is connected means we all rely

2020 is the International Year of the Nurse and on each-others health and health systems. No
Midwife and also the year of a global pandemic... one is safe until everyone is safe, which is why
These two events coming together has been it’s really important to make sure the vaccine is
described as a ‘water shed moment’ for nursing and rolled out equitably and that the weakest
midwifery. How perceptions have changed is evident health systems are strengthened.
in the images of people applauding health workers
from their front yards and balconies in lockdown. What do you enjoy outside of work/study?

Nurses and midwives are the largest group of Living in lockdown for a large part of this year
health professionals and provide the vast majority in Germany has made me appreciate little
of healthcare worldwide particularly in low and luxuries like leaving my house, coffee shops
middle-income countries where most of the world’s and swimming pools.
population live. This amounts to 80% of primary
healthcare services, and 90% of maternal and child I like spending time with my son’s Benson and
health care services (SOWNR, WHO, 2020). Those Solomon and my husband Matthias. At heart, I
numbers are really quite remarkable. am the outdoors type and like camping, paddle
boarding in the ocean and hiking in nature.

11

‘It is a career that is
flexible and works around
your life, where you can
reinvent yourself, it opens
doors and can take you
around the world.’

Fondest Avila memories?

What does a typical day look like for you? My Avila years were the only time in my life when
my singing and dancing was encouraged. My lack of
Every day is really different. As an academic at talent never kept me from some type of stage. The
Monash, my role was nicely balanced between greatest memories were practicing endlessly for
Research, Teaching and Service/Leadership. I work creative arts festivals. Bumping into my three sisters
with teams on research projects at various stages: Annemarie, Roselyne and Danielle in the corridors.
Planning, data collection, analysis, write up and Trying out a whole range of sports and competing.
presentation, or supervising Nurses doing research. Laughing with Anna Clothier, Rebecca Craig, Jane
Asher, Kirsten Murphy, Kate Hagan, and Michelle
I also design teaching units, lecture and run Rufolo. Camps, getting into books in English
interactive workshops. I taught Global Health so it literature and chatting with some of the greatest
was fascinating exploring issues, research and girls I’ve ever met on the lavender path.
practice implications with the next generation of
nurses and midwives. What advice do you have for current Avila students
interested in a career in nursing?
As Vice President of MSF Australia, there is always
some kind of crisis happening in the world that we A career is what you make of it and how you frame
need to keep informed about. MSF provides it. Health is changing a lot and we need talented
healthcare to people where there is none and and dynamic people to lead that change. Nurses
where few other organisations can remain, such as and midwives are still in very high demand and will
in Yemen and Afghanistan. continue to be in the coming decades. It is a career
that is flexible and works around your life, where
As a board, we develop strategy, ensure compliance you can reinvent yourself, it opens doors and can
and monitor the financial viability and legal take you around the world. It is also extremely
accountability of the organisation. We also have rewarding when you can help people through their
heated debates about current humanitarian issues best and worst times whilst working in dynamic
and are held to account by an association of health professional teams. Every patient and shift is
humanitarians whom we represent. different and it is the type of career that guarantees
life-long learning and adventures.

12 Inspiring today for tomorrow Patricia Schwerdtle

THE TWO OF US

Peta Williams and Jacqueline Kefford

Jac and I began at St Christoper’s Primary and now at This 123 kilometres stretches from Cape Naturaliste to
61 years that’s been a 56 year, very dear, friendship. Cape Leeuwin. It highlights the pristine coastline and
is one Australia’s most popular trails. It’s challenging,
We separately found our way to WA over 30 yrs ago with around 19 kilometres of beach to walk, but the
and have kept in contact. wild flowers, elevated view to the rugged coast, vast
sandy white beaches and endless pockets of family
Both Jac, her husband Robert and my husband Kenn and surf beaches make it worth traversing.
have travelled extensively overseas and when
COVID-19 hit and Western Australia’s hard borders This picture represents a happy moment when Jackie
came down we decided to embark on one of the and I finished the trail in seven days.
state's more scenic trails, The Cape to Cape.

Peta & Jacqueline Digital Edition 13

ALUMNAE

MARGOT
TANJUTCO

Writer, Actor and Comedian

14 Inspiring today for tomorrow Margot Tanjutco

Theatre, comedy, photography and more - you have Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2019 and
done so much! Can you tell us a little about your working on Torch The Place with The Melbourne
journey after graduating from Avila. Theatre Company.

I trained in musical theatre for two years after What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
graduating, then found that it didn't quite fulfil my
creative hunger so I had to explore what else was out Shop, read, and have luxurious baths.
there. In the following years I discovered the worlds
of independent theatre and comedy, where I got to Fondest memories from your time at Avila?
write and perform in my own shows as well as my
friends' shows. It was a revelation and a great relief to I loved doing our musicals, Creative Arts Festival,
find that life does go on after being rejected from singing with Kate Gould, and Lit class.
drama school! I also got a media degree because why
not? I love being able to express myself through What advice would you give current students
different avenues because it challenges me and interested in pursuing a career in the arts
pushes my imagination.
It's a lot of hard work so find your people because
What have been the highlights? they will be your collaborators and dear friends. We
have to lift each other up! Also just put yourself out
A recent highlight was performing one of my comedy there and see what sticks. Do the scary thing even if,
songs with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for and especially if, no one else is doing it. Your work/
Eddie Perfect's Ridiculous Christmas show. Other instincts will get better faster when it's in front of an
highlights are my solo show Vanity Fair Enough for audience so put up a show at Melbourne Fringe or
post it online for everyone to see. Just go for it!

Margot Tanjutco Digital Edition 15

ALUMNAE HANNAH
PHILLIPS

Neuroscientist | Writer | Canada

Hannah writes under the name A little about my journey: I moved to Vancouver almost six years
H.C. Phillips. Her fiction and ago now, completed a writing certificate
poetry can be read here: After graduating from Avila, I didn’t want with Simon Fraser University, and a
hcphillips.com/publications to take a gap year because I was going course in teaching English as a second
to study the same subjects and didn’t language. At the moment, I’m a published
want to forget everything in between. I creative writer partway through an
enrolled in a BA/BSc double degree at editing certificate that is on pause while I
Monash University. I don’t think six complete a Master’s in neuroscience at
months went by when I didn’t replan my the University of British Columbia.
courses and degree paths, for the entire
four years of full-time enrolment. I’m a volunteer editor in the university’s
neuroscience blog (Brainiac), and work
I ended up with a BSc double major in part-time in the university’s Centre for
physics, a three-quarters complete Writing and Scholarly Communication
diploma in Japanese language, and an meeting (virtually) with university
extra two half-years of non-degree study students about their writing.
in creative writing and then philosophy.

16 Inspiring today for tomorrow Hannah Phillips

The University of British Columbia Point Grey

My research uses task-based fMRI to consider the formal or informal, in the books you choose to read;
developmental trajectories and altered brain training might be in the deadlines and challenges you
networks of children born very preterm. set yourself; and work experience might be in the
structure you set within your writing time.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
On a personal level, my career in creative writing is
I enjoy binge consumption of media. Spending an reflected in how I choose to spend my days – it might
entire day and night reading a book, or playing a be 1,000 words on a novel per day in January, a short
video game, watching movies, or consuming serial story a week in April, or working to a goal of 100
television shows. I particularly enjoyed the remake of submissions to literary journals in a year. From 30
FF7 this year, and just commenced watching minutes of writing every day, to 8 hours every day. On
Supernatural from the start. an output level, my career in writing can be measured
by how much work is published. It helps to have
Fondest memories from your time at Avila? some idea of what “being a writer” looks like to you,
and to keep revisiting and updating that idea.
My fondest memories are of my friends and teachers.
Unfortunately for the latter, the former were usually Perhaps what work in your field might look like is too
formed while goofing off in class. I do also have fond unknown to be concrete right now – that’s still the
memories from officially sanctioned goof-off time like case for me in editing and neuroscience. In which
Avila Day and sports carnivals, as well as some case, my advice would have to be to do what I myself
memorable specific school projects – including an am still doing right now: Allow for change and
assignment on Hades and Hercules in Roman flexibility as you try things out and get exposure to
mythology, discussing fear of death in philosophy, more opportunities. Work, volunteer, have
and a dance routine to Eye of the Tiger for PE. conversations. Then, you can start to see just what it’s
like to be a career academic, a researcher in a lab, or
Advice for Avila students interested in pursuing a a developmental editor versus a freelance
career in neuroscience, writing or editing? proofreader versus a blog editor.

Careers can be nebulous creatures. My advice would Lastly, find community. Both for writing, as it can be a
be to focus on what a career in creative writing, bit of a solo endeavour, and other kinds of work. Find
editing, neuroscience, or anything else, looks like to peers and mentors in your field - sometimes you
you on a concrete, day-to-day basis, and aim for that. don’t know what you don’t know until you have the
A career itself is usually considered in terms of opportunity to learn from people who might know
education, training, and work experience – for something you don’t.
creative writing, you have the opportunity to define
those parameters for yourself: education might be

Hannah Phillips Digital Edition 17

ALUMNAE TAMANNA
KAUL

Artist and Performer|Coral Flamingo

Tell us about your journey after graduating from Avila. job in hospitality or retail (although it did provide
It was a bit tricky, as I didn't really know what exactly financial security). Music Theatre training can be
I wanted to do - but I DID know that I didn't want expensive, and I wanted to fund everything myself as
to spend my time and energy focused on studying much as possible, so it was important to me that my
a subject I wasn't fully immersed in or enjoyed. income would support that as much as it could. I also
That was one of the reasons I decided to take thought it would be awesome if people wanted to pay
a gap year. In 2015, I was part of Avila/Mazenod me to buy my artwork! I decided to take my ukulele
(MATCO's) production of 'Joseph and the Technicolour art business more seriously when I decided to take
Dreamcoat', and that was when I realised that I my Music Theatre training more seriously.
actually REALLY enjoy performing and storytelling.
Your hand painted ukuleles are stunning!
Since then, the gap 'year' turned into 'years', and What inspired you to adopt these as your canvas?
I ended up completing a few short courses at the
VCA (in Music Theatre and then in Acting), Improv, Thank you! They're really fun to paint :) I had never
as well as taking on singing and dance lessons as actually played a ukulele until maybe Year 11 or 12,
often as I could. All the while, I learned that a career when one of my friends started the 'ukulele en-
in the performing arts can be very physically and semble' at Avila! I thought it was such a cute little
emotionally demanding. I quickly realised that for instrument, and super fun to pick up and play. I was
me, it was not very feasible to try to hold down a scrolling through instagram when I saw another
artist had painted her ukulele with an incredible

18 Inspiring today for tomorrow Tamanna Kaul

'galaxy-ocean-mandala' design, and I was awe-struck. What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
My first ukulele was red colour, and I just grabbed my
gold sharpie and drew a mandala on! A few months I love hanging out with my family and friends! I
later I thought - 'what if I could sell these?' and start- also really enjoy watching movies/listening to
ed an Etsy shop and ended up getting a few orders. scores, going out to restaurants, playing my in-
Eventually I started coming up with more ukulele struments and doing more music theatre training.
designs, and then doing custom orders! Currently my favourite restaurant is Vapianos
(highly recommend, especially the Carbonara),
I really enjoy this business because it makes me and my favourite film score is ‘Interstellar’.
happy knowing that there are other people out there
who are willing to invest in themselves and to play a Fondest memories from Avila?
musical instrument. I think music is just so important
and everyone should give it a go. It has helped me so Oh man, so many to choose from! Celebration day
much as a person, and also as an artist! was awesome, I got to dress up as Kronk from my
all time favourite movie ‘Emperor’s New Groove’.

Customers have told me that they've been inspired to I also loved getting to perform on stage/making
learn and play when they saw a painted uke, and that animations for Creative Arts Festival. Doing the
inspires me to keep going. Musical. Making some awesome friends. Everything
about Year 9. Like I said... too many to choose from!
What have been the highlights thus far?
What does the future hold for Tamanna?
The biggest highlight so far is understanding
myself a bit more so I feel more confident and Plans for next year involve continuing to grow my
am able to make better decisions for myself. I still business and figuring out other products that I
remember seeing relatively young professionals can add to my shop that will hopefully bring in
in the visual and performing arts and wanting to some extra income so I can dedicate more of my
be like them, worried it’s too late for me to ‘make time and attention to my music theatre training.
it’. I’d always feel like I need to be more, to do I’m looking at continuing ‘freelance’ training, aim-
more, and would look at what they did and try to ing to focus on dance primarily. I am also going
emulate their pathway. Surprise, surprise! I am not to look at training in classical Indian singing and
them, I am me - so how could I possibly expect dance, I believe going back to my roots will help
their decisions to work for me? Understanding ground me more as a person.
myself, knowing that I am enough, and that every-
one’s paths are different has allowed me to grow Instagram: @coral_flamingo
as a person which has been very exciting. YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/tamannakaul

Tamanna Kaul Digital Edition 19

ALUMNAE

MICHELLE YOUNG

General Manager – People & Culture | Melbourne Storm Rugby League Club

Tell us about your journey after graduating from Avila. working closely with the Managing Director to craft
After finishing school, I completed a Bachelor of and lead the cultural strategies and programs that
Arts at Monash University then spent 18 months saw our company recognised in the BRW Top 50 Best
living and working in the Whitsundays and 9 months Places to Work – Australia in 2013.
backpacking around Britain and Europe.
While at Proclaim I had my daughter. After 5 years I
I decided I needed to start mapping my career path, was fortunate enough to secure a role at Melbourne
so returned to Monash and completed a Graduate Storm Rugby League Club. This was the first time
Diploma in Education. Realising that primary Melbourne Storm had employed a HR role and over
teaching was not for me, I was drawn to adult six seasons the role has grown and developed. I am
training and development. currently the General Manager – People and Culture,
sit on the Senior Leadership team and my role is
In 2000, I secured a role at Medibank as part of the very broad with plenty of variety and challenge.
Learning and Development team. I learnt so much
about all the departments and roles that make up What I love about my career is that it hasn’t followed
an organisation. Relocating to Brisbane to live with a linear trajectory. I didn’t even know what I really
my future husband, I joined 3 Mobile developing wanted to do until my mid-20s, but once you find
and delivering culture workshops, leadership your passion and if you have the drive and
development and sales and services programs. determination, you can achieve. I have learnt much
of my job through my experiences and opportunities
Returning to Melbourne for the birth of our son, I in the workplace, and because I have embraced
commenced as the Organisational Development these and worked hard, not necessarily because of
Manager at Proclaim to build their HR function. where I finished my academic studies. Every role I’ve
had has helped me in future roles.
One of the highlights of my time at Proclaim was

20 Inspiring today for tomorrow Michelle Young

‘once you find
your passion and

if you have the
drive and

determination,
you can achieve.’

I’ve never just worked in one industry and each I touch every element of an employee’s life cycle at
industry teaches new things, but at the end of the the club. From recruiting and onboarding, supporting
day no matter where you work, people are people professional development, working with stakeholders
and that is what I love about being a Human on key people projects, ensuring people are
Resources Professional. The fact that I can have an motivated, challenged and engaged in their role
impact in helping people grow and make their time through to supporting the exit process and everything
at work engaging is very rewarding. in between. My focus is at an individual, team and
company level to grow and motivate people to be their
I’m proud that I’ve managed to maintain a best in our environment, improve business
successful career (in a part time capacity), whilst performance and achieve organisational effectiveness.
starting and raising a family. I feel fortunate for that
opportunity, as I am aware in generations gone by Often the perception is that Rugby League is a very
that may not have been an option. “blokey” culture, but not at our Club. Our Football
Department consists largely of males, however, on the
What does a typical day for Michelle Young look like? commercial side of our Club we have a 50/50 gender
split, three women in our Senior Leadership Team
Because this role holds ownership for the pillar of and one female Board member. We continue to work
“People and Culture” in Melbourne Storm’s business hard to break down the perceptions that only men
plan and is responsible for leading, developing, can work in Rugby League!
executing and embedding HR strategic and
operational direction, practices and support across all Professional sport demands excellence and continual
levels of the organisation, no two days are ever the high performance. There is pressure, the hours can be
same! My role is a total mix between strategic and long and the remuneration often does not match
operational – one minute I can be working with other industries, but there is an unrivalled
Senior Management on the best structure for a emotional connection to being part of this Club. The
department, or succession planning within the team pride and joy to be part a finals series every year in
and the next I’m helping a manager onboard a new my time at the Club including three Grand Finals
employee in terms of paperwork and compliance or (two wins, and one loss) is something you really
assisting them to prepare for a difficult conversation can’t describe. At the end of the day this is why
with a team member. people work in professional sport!

Michelle Young Digital Edition 21

‘There really is something
about being an Avila girl that

I don’t think ever leaves you.’

What do you enjoy doing outside of work? I will always remember how the teachers and leaders
at Avila encouraged us to believe in ourselves, not
Between my role at Storm, my family, and a new limit ourselves to traditional roles because of our
puppy my life is pretty busy! My children are 13 and 10, gender if our passion was elsewhere and constantly
and are heavily involved in community sport at the reminded us that we can be anything we want to be!
minute (Footy, Cricket, Basketball, Netball and Pretty powerful stuff for the late 80s and early 90s!
Dancing), so much of my non-working week is taken
up with getting them to training sessions or games! I think today’s students are so much better at many
We are lucky to live in a great community so spending things than we were – especially in acknowledging
time at these events is not hard as we have lots of and supporting diversity and difference in others and
great friends around. talking about things such as mental health for
example. It just wasn’t something we did, so I am
My parents still live in Glen Waverley, so I spend a bit pleased to see progress has been made in this area
of time helping them as needed. Of course, in season over time. Of course, there is always more to do.
we watch and go to a lot of live sport. We love
watching the Tiges get a win, Sunshine Coast Lighting Aside from an education and instilling self-belief,
play, and of course we always go to Melbourne Storm perhaps the best thing Avila gave me was lifelong
games at AAMI Park. My son is even lucky enough to friends. I will always be grateful that I have these
be a ball kid for some matches. ladies in my life

Fondest memories from your time at Avila? I interact with many girls older and younger on social
media and I still catch up every six weeks for lunch
I look back on my time at Avila with really fond with Gen Dickson, Jodie Byass and Shauna McEwan,
memories. I think the cohort in my year level were a and keep in regular contact with a few others. We
great group of people. I feel lucky about that. Some of have shared marriages, births, illness and passing of
the experiences we shared or funny things we did will loved ones together. We know each other so well and
always stay with me, like freezing cold swimming we are never short of a laugh or a fond memory.
lessons in April at the Ashburton Pool, our Year 10 bus
trip to Expo ’88 (I actually don’t now how those I’ve also worked with an Avila girl or two in my career,
teachers did it to be honest!!) and the 1990 Leadership which always creates an instant bond! There really is
Group camp at the beach. Social media has allowed something about being an Avila girl that I don’t think
us a glimpse of where many of the people I shared my ever leaves you.
secondary years are now, and it is always lovely to see
a familiar face pop up.

22 Inspiring today for tomorrow Michelle Young

ALUMNAE

JANEY HASTINGS
Yoga Instructor| Disability Support Officer

Please tell us a little about your pathway from north of India at an intensive yoga camp learning to
Avila to today! become an instructor. I finished up in Darwin ,
meeting up with my two sisters and mum and we
I graduated from Year 12 (VCAL) in 2016 and moved went on a road trip through NT, SA and Victoria.
out of home for the first time working full time for the
Monash City Council, in the CSO department. I worked I’m currently working as a disability support worker
6-7 days per week and I saved every single penny and a yoga instructor until international travel is
earnt (looking back, being a little less stingy wouldn’t open again.
have killed me). I didn’t have time for any fun
apparently. I lived like that for nearly one year which What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
allowed me to have enough money to support myself
for the next two years while I travelled solo overseas. I enjoy yoga, snowboarding, surfing, cooking, reading,
live music, scuba diving, skateboarding and
I started in Indonesia where I obtained my Scuba environmental studies.
diving licence, then travelled between the Philippines
and Thailand, living and training at MMA bootcamps Fondest memories from Avila?
and scuba diving on my time off. I lived in Canada
(Whistler) working/partying in the snow fields and Both the Year 11 and 12 Formal, the competitive WINT
snowboarded for two months straight. I lived and netball tournaments and training, the volleyball
worked in hostels in Costa Rica. tournaments, running a muck in Year 12 (Jenny Dunn
can back me on that one) becoming good friends
Contrary to how my teachers may remember me, I with the whole year level/teachers and catching the
started to love yoga and spent a full month in the bus and train with my best mate every day after
school.

Janey Hastings Digital Edition 23

ALUMNAE GEORGIA
VANCE

Assyriology | Cambridge University

Upon graduating from Avila in 2015, I accepted an Most of us with a Western education background
offer from Monash University (Clayton) to study a are unfamiliar with the Ancient Near East, as we
B.A. with the intention of becoming a Classical are taught that civilisation “begins” in the Graeco-
archaeologist. Beguiled by the Greek world after Roman world and forget the thousands of years of
studying Classical societies & texts at Avila, I had a vibrant societies that were precursors to this.
set career trajectory I was determined to follow,
unlike most of my peers at this time. However, It is these fascinating societies, particularly
University changed a lot for me. Mesopotamia, that I focused on in my latter years of
study at Monash. I was also lucky enough to study
Prior to Monash, I was unacquainted with the abroad for a year in the USA, an experience I would
concept of an academic career and the processes highly recommend to any undergraduate students.
involved in becoming a researcher in the
Humanities. The freedom to take electives within At the end of 2019, I handed in my final thesis and
my degree was also how I was introduced to the graduated with a First Class Honours degree from
Ancient Near East, in which I now specialise. Monash. As I intended to pursue a robust
academic career, I applied to Cambridge for a
Broadly, the Ancient Near East encompasses the Masters degree, because of their scholarly calibre
history and archaeology of Mesopotamia, Anatolia, and world-renowned research in archaeology.
the Levant and the Iranian plateau before the
Common Era.

24 Inspiring today for tomorrow Georgia Vance

Before starting at Cambridge in October of 2020, I Once I complete my Masters, I am looking forward
also worked as an archaeologist on a dig in to beginning a doctorate in Near Eastern
Melbourne’s city-centre. While the move to Archaeology, in either the UK or Germany
Cambridge was a difficult one, due to the contingent on funding. As part of my doctoral
circumstances surrounding coronavirus, it was research, I hope to pursue archaeological fieldwork
absolutely worth it. Elite universities like and community-based projects in the Middle East.
Cambridge offer unique learning experiences Recently, I also had my first journal article
embedded in century-old traditions, combined published, and although I am still early in my
with the opportunity to engage with the top career, I hope to publish further research and
experts in one’s field. present at conferences around the world. In my
(limited) spare time, I enjoy distance running, film
Living in Cambridge is also a stark contrast to photography and watersports.
Melbourne. Cycling is the main means of transport
for most people and the city comprises a While it has been five years since high school, my
predominantly student population. The academic time at Avila is something I still think upon fondly.
experience is also comparatively rigorous; both Some of my favourite memories include inter-school
post-graduates and undergraduates are prohibited debating competitions, Avila days and the commotion
from undertaking part-time work and many of the Year 12 common room. The variety of subjects
students have classes on the weekend. offered at Avila was also such an advantage, as I was
able to discover my passion for history that has led
Presently, my Masters this year at Cambridge is me to the other side of the globe.
called ‘Assyriology’, which deals specifically with
the translation of cuneiform texts and their ability In a world that still undervalues the contributions
to illuminate the Mesopotamian past. of women, I feel so privileged to have been part of
a school that gave me confidence in my abilities
and encouraged me to think boundlessly.

Georgia Vance Digital Edition 25

AVILA ARCHIVES

Delving into our shared community history.

Do you have any keepsakes from your time at school?
The Avila College Archives are always looking for artefacts
to showcase our shared community history.

In particular, the Archives are currently searching for pre-1980 uniforms, the Avila
wide brimmed felt hat, samples of student work and photographs. If you have any
items you wish to donate please email [email protected] or call
Anne Stephens on 9831 9600.

Avila College hat.

From 1988: Speech Night at
Dallas Brooks Hall ticket and

Interschool Sports Carnival.

First edition of the
student magazine Logos.

Avila College's fee
payment register from
the 1970's. School fees

were $45 per term.

26 Inspiring today for tomorrow Avila Alumnae Network

Avila
Alumnae
Network

Join us today at alumnae.avila.vic.edu.au

Article here Digital Edition 27

35 Charles Street, Mount Waverley, Victoria 3149 | T 03 9831 9600 | E [email protected] | avilacollege.vic.edu.au