MOCA

As always, we love catching up with news from our former Collegians.

Dimosthenis Manasis (MOC 2002) – Winner of the Mazenod Old Collegians’ Association Leave to Serve Award

It was with great pleasure that we welcomed back to Mazenod College recently, Mr Dimosthenis (Deon) Manasis, one of our Old Boys, from the Class of 2002. On behalf of Dr Paul Shannon and Mazenod College, and the Mazenod Old Collegians’ Association, we were delighted to announce that Deon was the recipient of our “Leave to Serve” Alumni Award. 

Deon was a student at Mazenod throughout his entire secondary schooling. He commenced Year 7 at Mazenod in 1997 and graduated in 2002. I had the great privilege of teaching Deon in his VCE years at the College. I can vividly recall Deon’s friendliness, enthusiasm, joy and his determination to succeed throughout his years at Mazenod. Beyond his schooling, Deon has truly exemplified Mazenod’s maxim of “Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve”. As an adult, Deon attributes much of his accomplishments and achievements to the life-principles and values he acquired when he was a student at Mazenod. 

As a child born into a Greek immigrant family, Deon had commenced dance classes at the age of three at his father’s school of Greek Dance and Culture. I can recall Deon attending dance classes and rehearsals after school throughout his time at Mazenod. I also remember that Deon travelled extensively throughout Greece and its neighbouring countries during his teenage years. 

In our wonderful multicultural nation of Australia, Deon and his family believed that Greek dancing was a tangible way of preserving and passing on Greek folklore and culture to the next generations. Then, as a seventeen-year-old, Deon began teaching Greek dancing, and at the conclusion of his education at Mazenod, he took over the Directorship of his father’s Manasis School of Greek Dance and Culture.

In his desire to serve the wider community, many of the values Deon acquired at Mazenod permeate his teaching methodology. Deon seeks to give his students a sense of belonging, inclusion, achievement and pride. His fundamental key to teaching dance is communication, as he believes that through this comes respect, discipline, and commitment.

In his quest to serve the wider community, Deon has staged countless concert spectaculars, extending the invitation to culturally diverse organisations and dance groups, with the purpose of highlighting cultural similarities and celebrating our 'unity through diversity'. These events have been commended and attended by former Premiers, Mayors, politicians. 

Seeking to serve, Deon has worked tirelessly, incorporating the Greek cultural identity through dance, into a multitude of areas, including the multicultural community, local Councils, State and Federal Government events, the AFL, the NRL, A-League, the National Gallery of Victoria, food and wine expos, exhibitions, fundraising and charitable organisations, and the wider sporting community. Most relevant today is the fact that some of Deon’s concerts celebrated our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People’s musicians and dancers. 

Despite having built his family's dance school into the largest professional Greek dance school across Australia, Deon’s focus has always remained at a grass-roots level, looking after and supporting ordinary people, focusing on inclusion.

Deon is enthusiastic about philanthropy, making himself available to others by giving his time, expertise, money, and resources. He seeks to support those in need and contribute in a positive way to the wider community. This is evident through his voluntary visits to nursing homes around Melbourne with his dance students, musicians, and other entertainers. In 2017 and 2018, Deon received back-to-back High Commendations as a "Multicultural Champion" of the Sir John Monash Award by the City of Monash. More recently, along with his dance school, Deon was inducted by UNESCO's Council of International Dance as an official member during its 61st World Congress of Dance Research, where, along with dance performances, Deon presented his Research Paper concerning the role of dance in preserving Greek folklore and culture.

Deon, Mazenod College is extremely proud of you. We congratulate you on your “Leave to Serve Award”.

Deon wrote in reply to the College:

To receive an award bearing [St Eugene de Mazenod’s]… name, and inspired by his vision, stands as a powerful testament to everything we have built, everything we have contributed, and every effort we will continue to make in service of others and our community. My sincerest appreciation to the staff, students, the Mazenod Old Collegians' Association, and the entire Mazenod College family for this extraordinary honour. I eagerly anticipate future opportunities to connect with you all again.

Sincerely,

Dimosthenis Manasis

Pastoral Care/Wellbeing

Both of us and our MOCA Committee are always available to chat, or to assist our Old Boys in their times of need. In recent weeks, we have been blessed to support our Old Collegians who are experiencing illness in their families, as well as, Old Collegians who have experienced the deaths of loved ones. We seek to support one another by our prayers, friendship, and actions.

Promoting our Old Collegians’ Trades, Businesses, Professions

We are always keen to promote our Old Collegians and their professions, businesses and trades. Please feel free to contact us at Mazenod College. We will include these in our Mazenod College Newsletter, The Mazenod Gazette, as well as on our Alumnly Website and on our Mazenod Old Collegians’ Association Facebook page.

Mazenod Old Collegians Require Work

In recent days we have received news that two of our Old Collegians require employment.

The first is an Old Collegian who was employed in a Pizza Restaurant for the past fifteen years. This meant working extremely long hours and never getting home before midnight. He is fifty-one years old and is seeking a change of pace, a change of career. He is extremely enthusiastic about life, a very hard worker; a great people person, and willing to give anything a try. If anyone has any jobs, or is simply interested in speaking to our Old Collegian about possibilities of work, please call Daniel on 0429 601 352.

The second Old Collegian, George (MOC 2025), has about four weeks left on his pre-apprenticeship course. After this concludes, he is seeking an electrical apprenticeship. George is a cheerful, friendly, reliable, very hard worker who is passionate about becoming an electrician. He has loved his pre-apprenticeship course. If anyone can help George with an apprenticeship, please contact his Mum, Judy, during the day, as George is away on building sites. He will return your calls in the evening. 

Please call Judy on 0400 455 396.

MOCA Music: Big Band

We are in the early stages of trying to establish a MOCA Big Band as part of providing our Old Boys who are interested in playing music together as part of our MOCA connection. If you are interested in finding out more about our new initiative, please feel free to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.

Peter Banfield and Tina Giacco.

MOCA: Alumni Digital Platform

We encourage our Mazenod Old Collegians to sign up and join our alumni digital platform. Please download the Alumnly app and register for a FREE account today.

Tina Giacco

Mazenod Old Collegians' Liaison

Executive Officer, Mazenod Old Collegians’ Association

Peter Banfield

Development & Alumni Manager