Meet the Team

Rylie Charles

Assistant Head of Boarding 

I grew up in Melbourne with my older sister and a variety of pets, including dogs and horses. I am now a proud aunty to my niece and nephew, Rupert and Evie. 

Over the years, I have lived and worked in many different parts of Australia and travelled extensively for work. Those experiences have given me a deep appreciation for the diversity of our country, and I now enjoy sharing the very best of Melbourne with MITS students as they make the city their home.

Working with Year 7 students is what inspires me most at MITS. Students are incredibly young when they leave their families and communities to join us in Melbourne, and every student and family demonstrates remarkable courage and trust in taking that step. It is a privilege to support them as they build confidence, independence and a sense of belonging in their new environment.

Vanessa Gerner

Boarding Manager, Biderap (Senior Girls House)

Before joining MITS, I worked as a teacher in early childhood and primary school settings and also owned and ran restaurants alongside my husband, Jesse - who still runs Bomba Tapas Bar & Rooftop in the city today. We have been married for 23 years and have worked together for much of that time.

Jesse loves cooking, sailing, and races yachts each week at St Kilda. I love the beach, bush walking, dancing and singing. We have three boys: Sam (16), who loves art and creating; Ollie (14), who's passionate about chess and physics; and Archie (12), who enjoys basketball and soccer and is our biggest animal lover. 

Sunny, our new Labrador X puppy keeps us all very amused as well.

I am constantly inspired by the students. They are incredibly brave, kind, smart and creative, and I love getting to know them and their families and learning from them. The team at MITS is also inspiring. Everyone works hard together with a shared goal of supporting and creating opportunities for the next generation.

Chloe Lane 

Taungurung women on my Mother's side.

I'm the Boarding Manager for Garrawang, the Senior Fellas House at MITS, and I've been a part of the MITS community for the past five years.

Outside of work, life revolves around my young family. My partner Jake and I have two little ones, Ruger (3) and Tasia (1). They keep us on our toes and fill our days with plenty of noise, laughter, adventure, and chaos. Life is busy, but I wouldn't have it any other way!

What inspires me most about MITS is the opportunity to walk alongside young Mob and support them to feel strong in who they are and proud of where they come from. I love being part of helping young people find their confidence, believe in themselves and realise their potential. Seeing students grow and thrive throughout their journey, overcoming endless challenges, is incredibly rewarding and a big part of why I enjoy the work I do.

From the teaching team!

Meet out Volunteers

Kate Inverarity 

Volunteer with year 7 and 8s homework

I am married to Johnny Short who works at MITS and we have two sons Harry who is 23 and Sam who is 21.  Harry worked at the MITS boarding house in the first half of the year as a boarding house assistant and he loved it. He is now travelling through Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Nepal and India and when he gets home isn't sure what he is going to do next.  Sam is studying furniture making and furniture design and is really excited about finishing Uni and going into industry.   We have two big dogs Olly and Ralph who sometimes come along with us to watch the MITS mob play footy and help us cheer from the sidelines. I have a big sister Ali who was an Olympic high jumper and lives here in Melbourne.  My beautiful parents Jane and John who are 80 and 82 often come and visit from Perth.  Mum and Dad were both teachers and always told me I should teach. I never did but I love volunteering at MITS.  

I am inspired by how courageous the MITS mob are. I am inspired by how determined they are to learn. I am inspired by how connected they are and proud they are of their culture. I love hearing them talk about their country, their families, their totems, their art.  I am inspired by my opportunity to learn from everyone at MITS.  Thank you for having me!  I feel very lucky to be involved.  

Lochie Rosso

I volunteer at the MITS Year 9 boys’ house, helping the boys get to school a couple of days each week. 

I’m currently in my 3rd year of university studying engineering, splitting my time between traveling, working and  studying. In my spare time I like to read and go surfing with my dad.

My family are from Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, where my two little brothers and I were raised riding our bikes, hanging out with friends and wrestling. As we grew up mum and dad shared with us their love of camping, travelling and surfing, which we still do to this day. 

I was introduced to MITs when my parents participated in the homestay program in 2019, being a younger boy I didn’t understand the depth of the program but looking back now i can see how important it is. I believe in the message that MITs presents and the great opportunity’s that they provide and feel good contributing to it.

At MITS I’m inspired by the year 9 boys attitudes towards school when even on those cold Melbourne mornings they’re awake and ready to go. I enjoy hearing about the boys’ days and what’s exciting coming up on the weekend, from footy grand finals to seeing mum and dad for the holidays. I’m inspired by these boys and they make my entire day better.