Alumni Program
Koonung Secondary College
ALUMNA SPOTLIGHT
Sofia Toumbas, Class of 2007
Accredited Sports Nutritionist & Strength Coach (Self Employed/Business Owner)
Where has life taken you since graduating from Koonung Secondary College?
My pathway to my current career was an adventure. I would never have discovered that my current career and I were a match if I hadn’t taken a chance.
I completed Year 12 at Koonung Secondary College and went on to study a Bachelor of Performing Arts and Bachelor of Law at Monash. I assumed one day I would be a singing and dancing lawyer, but little did I know that the part-time interest I had whilst studying at university would become my passion.
Halfway through my law degree, I realised I didn’t want to be a lawyer and set out to become a secondary teacher specialising in legal studies and theatre studies.
My inspiration to explore exercise science came to me when I was teaching at an all-girls high school where they had a gym, but no available teachers qualified to teach the students how to use the equipment. Strength and fitness were always an important aspect in my life, and so I began helping the students understand how to train.
Fast forward a few years, and I was offered a position teaching the Certificate III and IV in Personal Training at the Australian Institute of Fitness, where I received Junior Coach of the Year in my first year of teaching.
My passion was unlocked at this point and started manifesting into a love and appreciation for food as medicine. This catapulted my way into further study, where I eventually obtained my Certificate in Applied Sports Nutrition and went back to uni to study dietetics while starting and running my own business.
Leading by example is a huge value for me, so along the way I became a natural bodybuilding champion, winning a world title at the Universe Championships in Singapore (the same title Arnold Schwarzenegger first won!)
I had grown up playing sports both at home and at school (Koonung included, where I played a lot of interschool sports), but my passion for health and progress really came from stepping into the world and exploring what life had to offer, and it took my going back to high school to find my purpose.
Today I run my own coaching business, helping recreational athletes and everyday people achieve their own goals within a busy lifestyle and schedule. I also work for the Australian Fitness Academy, where I assess student coursework and am actively involved in course development and staff professional development. Among that, studying my dietetics and raising a young family with a 3-year-old.
What memorable experiences or achievements have shaped your life since finishing / graduating from Koonung?
Most certainly, the musicals I was able to be part of at Koonung and representing the school as School Captain was one of the most fun responsibilities I remember having at Koonung.
I started Year 7 as an incredibly shy and introverted student but took a big risk and auditioned for my first school production in 2002, ‘Crazy for You.’ It unlocked this inner diva!
Koonung provided me with so many opportunities to perform, sing, and speak at events. Through this I gained incredible confidence in myself and my abilities, and I have been able to bring these characteristics into my life since graduating; without them, I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish what I have.
What does your job involve?
I work 1:1 with clients to build their exercise and nutrition literacy through consultations, programming, and workshops. My focus is breaking the diet culture and informing them, with evidence-based nutrition and training, to help them understand the science and function of foods while helping them achieve their goals in a healthy and constructive way.
I work with both the general population and athletes in grappling, martial arts, and bodybuilding. I have also hosted workshops in high schools around nutrition practices and understanding how food works to help inform teens on the best approach to food for social, emotional, and physical health and well-being.
My course is focused on medical nutrition, working with people who present with medical conditions and using nutritional pathways to alleviate symptoms and manage health while also looking at preventative nutrition.
What do you most enjoy about your work?
Learning! I love learning. The more I learn, the more I realise I don’t know. The content I focus on is content I have an interest in. My favourite subjects to chat about include Nutritional Biochemistry and public health.
What skills or qualities are important in your line of work (if applicable)?
Leading by example, commitment to continual learning and communication.
How would you describe yourself as a school student?
I was definitely the arty student; I did both performing and visual arts. I was also quite drawn to languages. (most certainly not the scientist I have become!)
When you were a student at Koonung, what did you imagine you would do for a career?
I thought I was going to be an Actor.
If you could go back & give advice to your secondary school aged self, what would that advice be?
Keep an open mind and say yes to all opportunities. You can learn how to do it all after the fact.
YEAR 10 CAREER PATHWAYS ALUMNI PANEL
The Year 10 Career Pathways class on Wednesday 2 April was amazing!
We had an incredible panel of four Koonung Secondary College alumni who delivered an exceptional and engaging session: Sophia Toumbas (Class of 2007), Christopher Thomson (Class of 2018), Maitreya Edwards (Class of 2018), and Daniel McLeod (Class of 2018).
Sophia's partner Lance, and Maitreya's partner Matilda joined them too, and even though they weren't Koonung alumni, we put them on the spot to share insights about their own careers. They graciously accepted the challenge, and we are incredibly grateful for their contributions.
Keep posted to our social channels for more details on these wonderful alumni.
A huge thank you to all of our panelists for making the session so valuable!
ALUMNI: WE WOULD LOVE TO FEATURE YOU IN AN ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT.
Koonung Secondary College alumni spotlights showcase the various pathways our alumni have taken since graduating from Koonung and the professions they are currently pursuing.
We feature these on our school website (image below), in our school newsletter, and on our social media pages (with your prior approval, of course).
If you’d like to get involved, please email our Alumni Program Coordinator at alumni@koonung.vic.edu.au OR complete the online ‘Alumni Spotlight’ form HERE.
ARE YOU AN ALUMNI OF KOONUNG?
If you are a Koonung alumni (went to or graduated from Koonung Secondary College), we would love you to join our alumni program. It's FREE to join.
FOLLOW THE ALUMNI PROGRAM ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
ARE YOU AN ALUMNI ON LinkedIn?
If so, we’d love you to please update the education section of your LinkedIn profile to include the correct Koonung Secondary College LinkedIn page. Our college LinkedIn page now includes an ‘alumni’ tab, and once you've added Koonung Secondary College to the education section of your personal profile, you will be added to the alumni stats on our official LinkedIn page. We'd be so grateful for this! See image below for reference.
KOONUNG PARTNERS WITH OURSCHOOL TO DELIVER ALUMNI PROGRAM
The alumni program at Koonung Secondary College is part of a broader, not-for-profit program called Ourschool (https://ourschool.net.au/).
Ourschool helps government secondary schools build thriving alumni networks to benefit current students and school communities. Koonung began it's partnership with Ourschool in 2022.
Click on the link below to view a video of the Ourschool CEO talking about the program.
CONTACT US.
Koonung Secondary College
Alumni Program - Nancy Manders