Alumni

Since Lakeside College’s establishment in 2006, a body that would unite, connect, and support graduates after their final year of schooling did not exist. Late last year, a discussion arose around the need to fill this gap, to complete the Lakeside College community and network. It was decided that Lakeside College was finally going to have an equivalent entity as what was mentioned before, known as: the Lakeside College Alumni Organisation (LCAO). Alongside the formation of the LCAO, three Alumni Coordinators were also appointed: Elijah Vanderputt, Tanisha Mishra and myself, all of whom are also members of the graduating class of 2024. As the founding Alumni Coordinators of the LCAO, we wish to build the organisation into a strong and robust part of the broader Lakeside College community.

This article serves to explain why the LCAO has been founded and some of things to expect from us in our inaugural year.

Why has the LCAO been 

founded?

Alumni associations have been a core part of educational bodies for the last 200 or so years. Although the location and size of each association may differ from one another, they were all founded with the same goals in mind:

• to foster lifelong thoughtful and heartfelt connections;
• to increase engagement between graduates and their alma mater
• to provide support for graduates after they have finished their schooling journey; and
• to celebrate the many success stories their graduates possess.

Aligned with other alumni organisations, the LCAO was established with these same objectives.

What can you expect to see from the LCAO in 2025?

As Alumni Coordinators we wish to see the LCAO thrive and become an active part of a Lakeside College graduate’s identity. We aim to reach these goals by hosting a range of events throughout the year, as well as, including an interview with a Lakeside College alumni in every new edition of the college newsletter.

Additionally, we always strive to promote the many successes and achievements of the college’s alumni, giving credit where it is due for the excellent educational, emotional, and social foundation on which we have begun our adult lives and will continue to carry with us as lifelong learners.

About your Alumni Coordinators

Although as Alumni Coordinators we differ in our aspirations in life and our further educational pathways, we represent the diverse make up of the

alumni body and the way in which our alma mater has set us up for success.

Elijah Vanderputt is currently a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) student at Monash University. Tanisha Mishra is studying a Bachelor of Information Technology, majoring in Cybersecurity at RMIT. She was also one of the College Captains in 2024. I am completing a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Commerce at Monash University. I also had the privilege of serving as co-captain with Tanisha last year.

We can only extend our gratitude to Lakeside College and the amazing teaching staff that assisted us in reaching our goals and entering into these highly competitive courses. We also hope that we will be able to expose more of our university lives and the way in which our Lakeside education has shaped us to be the people we are today.

Elijah, Tanisha, and I eagerly look forward to the future of the LCAO and the lasting impact we can make by giving back to this community. We are committed to achieving the organisation’s goals, helping others reconnect with cherished memories of the past, and fostering new connections for the future.

Written by Jeremy Spataru