Staff Profile

When did you join The Friends' School? 

January 2021

What are you excited about this year? 

I am excited to be joining a wonderful learning community that cares for its students and challenges them to be the best they can be every day.  I have been impressed with the depth of passion and purpose from our Friends teachers and the curiosity and engagement from all our students.  It is exciting to be in a school where being yourself is encouraged and after the challenges of 2020, we can truly value the importance of human connection and community.

When did you know you wanted to work in education? 

I had always been a coach in many of the sports I had played whilst growing up with my first job as a 14-year-old being a Tennis coach after school and on school holidays.  So, when I was making decisions about university the Head of the Senior School and my Economics teacher said that I should seriously consider teaching, which should have been a surprise to me.  However, as a teenager who thought (at the time), he knew everything, I immediately dismissed the idea and promptly studied a Commerce degree and then moved into the realm of telecommunications.  After two years I was unsatisfied and decided that travelling the world was more appropriate.  During my four months travelling through Africa, I spent some time at a rural Tanzanian school on the edge of the Serengeti.  The school building contained a few old desks and chairs, now glass in the windows and the playground was mostly deep red dirt compacted through multiple games of football (soccer).  Teaching a group of 60 wide-eyed young people how to apply the Mathematics they were learning in the classroom to solving real problems in the village and beyond had me hooked.  At this point I didn’t just want to be a teacher, I wanted to challenge young people to think critically, solve problems and communicate in a global context.  Consequently, I returned to Australia to study to become a Mathematics teacher and have been actively involved in education for the last 25 years across three continents in multiple roles.  Each day brings with it new experiences and the opportunity to work alongside eager and dynamic students, working in partnership with passionate and committed teachers who are always looking to inspire and engage with students to flourish and reach their full potential.

Where is your favourite place in the world? 

I am very fortunate to have visited and lived in many amazing places around the globe, including my current home of Tassie. To pick a favourite is particularly hard as every experience has a fond memory and has shaped who I am today.  Having said that, one of the most enjoyable experiences I have had is game viewing of any description - whether that is sitting on the side of a waterhole in Kruger National Park watching elephants, impala, zebra and hippos drink and wallow in the cool afternoon sun, alternatively spending 2 hours patiently waiting for a pride of Lions to capture a Puku in Chobe National Park in Botswana - it always reminds me that nature is a wonderful place to be.  I am truly grateful for the opportunity to have experienced so much of the world that lives around us and I sincerely hope our young generation will rally around to save our planet and be able to experience mother nature at her best.

Who is your Hero?

My hero, unsurprisingly, stems from my time in Africa, where inequality and racial discrimination dominated my childhood and early adult life.  Nelson Mandela was able to forge a unique path to helping South Africa overcome the ingrained apartheid system.  Through his ability to navigate various political and power roadblocks he was able to see beyond colour to forge a new frontier in appreciation and understanding.  He was a true advocate for education as was exemplified by the degrees he achieved whilst incarcerated on Robbin Island for 25+ years which rings true in the statement that I constantly use in learning - “I never Lose, I only Win or Learn” (Nelson Mandela)