Alumni Updates
MARRIAGES
Congratulations to Tahlia McPherson (Pillay - Class of '16) who recently got married to James McPherson at St Kilda Presbyterian Church. The newlyweds celebrated on 11th February 2023, holding their reception at Grand Hyatt Melbourne. The bridal party consisted of some familiar names to Waverly Christian College, including Tellisa Pillay (Class of '22), Chloe Vasquez (Class of '16) and Jess Conlon (Class of '16).
James' uncle married the couple, his cousins were their flower girls and family and friends travelled from interstate, making for a really special ceremony. Tahlia and James are both really happy with how the day went and the weather was a perfect sunny day. Congratulations!
30 UNDER 30
Below is an excerpt from the B&T's website, where they announced Lauren Moran, (Class of '12, Wantirna South Campus) as one of the winners for the 'Creative category', in their annual '30 Under 30' awards:
Regarded as Australia’s leading showcase for the best and brightest young talent in adland, the B&T 30 Under 30 Awards are among the most prestigious awards to grace your mantlepiece… and your LinkedIn. To enter, apart from being titularly under 30, your job must relate to the advertising, marketing or media sector. There are ten awards categories to enter, with three outstanding individuals per category to be crowned winners.
LAUREN MORAN |CHEP Network
The year she was born, “Lauren Elizabeth Moran” was the most common girl’s name in Victoria. So Moran set out to make a name for herself, creating uncommon, memorable, and award-winning projects.
Moran was shortlisted for a Cannes Future Lions Award, which helped her turn an internship at Isobar into a paying job alongside her creative partner Fraser Nelson. Within her first year, she graduated from both AWARD School and RMIT while simultaneously snagging a State Basketball Title. Her drunken AR statues for Drinkwise won at multiple award shows, including Cannes and One Show.
Following these achievements, Moran's team hid Mars Bars behind compromising Google searches, winning at Spikes. Most memorably, they developed, branded and launched the Lion’s Share, with Finch founder Rob Galluzzo, a UN-backed fund that protects wildlife. It won the very uncommon D&AD White Pencil and a Cannes Glass Lion and raised $16 million in its first year.
In late 2020, Moran accepted her current role as senior creative at CHEP where she led campaigns and national pitches across 7-Eleven, RACV, Telstra, Officeworks, Flybuys, and Samsung
(Excerpt from the B&T 30 under 30 awards winners page)
ALUMNI APPRECIATION INTERVIEW
We asked alumni graduate, Skylar Munyard (Class of '21, Narre Warren South), about her journey and experiences since graduating from WCC!
What years did you attend Waverley Christian College?
I attended Waverley from 2016 to 2021.
What or who motivated you at the College? What is your fondest memory of your years as a student. I was very supported by many peers, friends, family and teachers at Waverley Chrisitan College. I was very fortunate to go to a school with a community that is so welcoming of others and helped me achieve to the best of my ability. My fondest memory would be going on excursions and camps with my friends and teachers throughout high school.
What were the biggest challenges you’ve faced since leaving School? Some of the biggest challenges I faced since leaving school would be understanding how to live my life as a Chrisitan in a very secular world. Waverley is surround by many amazing and wonderful followers of Christ. However, graduating from Waverley being a Christian was becoming a part of a minority group. Learning how to hold on to my values while also living in a world where it is looked down on to be Christian was challenging but was very much worth fighting for.
What goals did you set yourself when you finished at WCC, and have you stuck to that plan? Some goals I set when finishing school at WCC was that I firstly wanted to get into my preferred choice of university and to be able to maintain different aspects of my life such as soccer and church.
What drew you to your area of work or study this year, and what do you love about it? I have always felt called to support and help young people in their education. So, when the opportunity arose to join the staff at Waverley, I felt it was a real calling from God and was excited by the thought of coming back to Waverley. I love being able to work with students not just on their studies but also getting to know them and check in on how they’re going in their personal and spiritual growth. I also love learning from the experiences being involved in the school and being able to implement what I learn at Waverley into my studies at university.
What is the best piece of advice you've ever been given? I guess it’s a little cliché but the phrase “the best things in life are not things”. It’s a phrase that has always stuck with me. It just reminds me to take time and put effort into the people and attributes of life that matter rather than focusing on pursuing physical things that don’t bring value or meaning to my life.
What excites you most about the future? I am excited to hopefully finish my studies and be able to start my career. I am also excited for what God has planned for my life in other areas of life such as soccer, my work and church.
What advice do you have for current students? I think the best advice I received in secondary school is to be present in the day to day and cherish it. Secondary school doesn’t last forever, and life will become so busy and different once you leave. So, while your grades are important and you should strive to achieve the best of your ability, remember to enjoy hanging out with your friends. Enjoy all the excursions and camps you go on together. Enjoy all the exciting and great moments school has to offer. Don’t let the worries and fears of tomorrow prevent you from experiencing the great memories and moments of today.
2023 REUNIONS
Term 2 and we've already celebrated 3 Reunions this year! It has been such a pleasure catching up with our Alumni, eating great food, hearing from past & present staff & reading your notes in our Alumni guestbook! Take a look below to see some highlights!
20 Year Reunion
We were lucky enough to reunite with some of our longest graduating students, celebrating Peer Years of 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003! Peter Sheahan spoke and reminisced with the cohort, the Alumni got a tour of everything that has changed since they were last here and celebrated with a gourmet spit roast.
Narre Warren South 5 Year Reunion
Mark Crnkovic was delighted to reunite with the Class of 2018, at The Hill in Berwick. The event went so well, we struggled to send guests home - a good problem to have! We even had some surprise special guests - Stephan Munyard (HoS 2014-2022) & Sylvia Ponussamy (English teacher 2010-2019).
Wantirna South 5 Year Reunion
Celebrating this cohort was a pleasure, hearing from various staff at the Knox Club in Wantirna South. Staff were keen to speak, such as Helen Van Hulst, Andrew Bawden, Joel Chapman, Rod Ramsay and current Head of Campus, David Lepileo. It was a lovely evening of catching up and remembering what's important in life.
The Reunions aren't done! If you're in the graduate classes of 13' or 22', join our Facebook page and keep your ears peeled for more updates. We encourage you to reach out to your fellow alumni who aren't already members, or aware of these reunions! If you'd like to get involved in some way, or have any questions, email us at Alumni@wcc.vic.edu.au.
WHAT'S NEW?
Have you become engaged, married or had a baby in the last 18 months?
Have you recently completed your studies, apprenticeship or other achievement?
Maybe you've started a new business, gone on a mission trip or have adventures/updates you'd like to share!
We'd love to celebrate with you and share the good news with your fellow classmates via our Alumni newsletter! We also recognise that our life experiences are not always positive, so if you would like to reach out for support or would like to provide encouragement to your fellow classmates, please contact us!
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