International Women's Day 

International Women's Day is celebrated at MGSC by the acknowledgement of our 2024 student leaders who are drawn from all year levels.  It is also an opportunity to invite a past student to address their former school.

This year we were were delighted to have Shannon Schubert (Class of 2016) return and share her journey that has led to being an ABC News journalist based in Bendigo. 

Shannon Schubert 

There comes times in life when we come to a sort of crossroads, and have to make a decision… or pick a path to walk down. 

That might be deciding if you’re going to be a good student or follow the naughty behavior of the ‘cool’ kids. It might be deciding if you’re going to continue with an instrument, or language, or drop it. It might be deciding if you’re going to try out for the school play or the sports team. It could be choosing your VCE subjects, or what you want to study at university. 

I’m going to let you in on a little secret. For me, a 27 year old journalist who lives in Bendigo, it’s deciding if I want to continue being a ‘successful’ Journalist, or if I want to pursue a different, creative path… or get a job that gives me more flexibility and less stress. I would love to stand up here and tell you how successful I am and how great being a Journalist is. I would love to give you a secret recipe, like follow these 3 simple steps to become a successful person in a career you love. But that wouldn’t be authentic, because right now that’s not how I’m feeling, despite achieving things 18 year old Shannon dreamed of. 

So maybe I can't give you the secret to success, but I can tell you how I got from being a MGSC high school student, to an award winning multi platform Journalist at the ABC, which is the nation’s public broadcaster and the most trustworthy news outlet in the country. I’ll share with you a few adventures from my journey and a few things I learned along the way… which are lessons I’m still learning again and again. 

When I was picking my VCE subjects, I struggled. I envied people who knew what they wanted to do. I had no idea what I wanted to do. All I knew was that I was interested in a lot of different things. I studied literature, English, Japanese, theatre studies, psychology, and further maths. My teachers told me to choose subjects I was interested in, so I did. I loved all my subjects (except Maths) and I loved that they were all so different. But I had no idea how this random collection of subjects led to a career. I envied a classmate who knew she wanted to be an engineer, so she chose maths and science subjects accordingly. She had a formula to follow. It felt like I had no idea what I was doing, but I was trying and learning. 

At some stage during year 11 or 12 an English teacher suggested Journalism, because I loved reading and writing. It was at that time I decided I should probably start watching the news. I would say I somewhat fell into Journalism. Unlike my university friends, I hadn’t been watching ABC News since I was 4 years old. But I certainly always loved a good story. So it was a great fit. In hindsight, my random mix of VCE subjects makes perfect sense for a Journalist. In my work now, I cover everything, from crime and court, to politics, health, education, sport, environment, lifestyle and more. 

Journalism is learning about the world around you and learning how to talk to people from all walks of life. For anyone considering becoming a journalist, being one is mostly asking good questions. It also helps if you can talk underwater and talk to anyone. There’s also a lot of researching and writing involved. I am regularly on TV, sometimes live. If anyone thinks working in television is glamorous, I would like to assure you, it's not. There have been times where I’ve done a live cross after a 12 hour day, where I read the news on the radio that morning. There have been days where I’ve spent 30 minutes next to an editor, agonizing over one line or one word, days where I’ve written a story in half an hour, and times where I have been given 15 minutes’ notice for a live cross I’ve had to film myself. But as painstaking, frustrating and difficult as it can be… it can also be a lot of fun. 

I love that my job means I’m always learning and I find myself in places I never expected. Like in the courtroom during a murder trial, talking to olympians and NBA players, in the middle of a protest in the CBD, or on a dairy farm in northern victoria. I have known the Premier of Victoria for years and we’re on a first name basis. That’s something I never expected I would say. But the privileged access of my job and the rare glitzy celebrity moments is far from the reason why I do what I do. 

I enjoy talking to people about the hard things. The real, raw moments in people’s lives. I enjoy learning about potential solutions to big issues in our society. I’m motivated by the idea that a story can have a real impact and make a difference. I won an award for my stories on a youth justice centre that was regularly the site of assaults, escapes and riots. I spoke to shattered people about their post traumatic stress disorder and exposed a light on a toxic workplace. That centre has now closed. 

I also love that my job sometimes means travel. Around 7 years ago, I was in Indonesia as part of a university work placement. I was having a great time, learning about another culture and learning Bahasa Indonesia language, when there was a terrorist attack in the city. We were moved somewhere safe and started receiving worried messages from friends and family back home.When the news broke, I felt something I’d never felt before. I didn’t feel scared. I felt super alert and hungry for information. As we were being sent to a safe location, away from the affected area, I had the fleeting thought that if I was a working Journalist, I might have been sent towards the blasts. For only a moment, I wished that was the case. 

I have also travelled to Japan as part of my journalism studies, where I interned at The Japan Times. It was an incredible experience. I am endlessly fascinated by Tokyo and Japanese culture in general. Maybe this is the nostalgia talking, but the city seemed to attract incredibly intelligent and talented people. In Tokyo, among 14 million people, anything felt possible. 

Journalism as a career isn't for everyone. It can mean long hours, unrealistic deadlines, more feedback than you can ever imagine, on things you could never imagine receiving feedback on… but it can also be fun, teach you a lot about people and the world, and it can be a great adventure, or give you a great story. When I look back on some of my happiest days at work, it's been days of madness. Days where things felt so busy but so fun. The end of high school is a lot like that too. You don’t realise when you’re in it, but looking back, you only remember the fun stuff. 

So to close the loop, I’m not going to tell you I’m successful and you will be too. But I will tell you that even though I don’t know whether I will be a Journalist, a podcaster, a writer, a media adviser or a marriage celebrant in 5 years time… I think you don’t have to know exactly what you’re doing and you don’t have to do whatever it is you think you should be doing. 

All you have to do is follow what you’re interested in…Find something you're passionate about and work hard at it. If that doesn't work, choose to be around the people who make you feel most empowered. People you think are successful or inspiring, or people who bring out the best in you.

Shannon Schubert

Daisy Walker's story

Daisy Walker (Class of 2020) was unable to join us on IWD. Daisy shared her experiences as a professional athlete since being drafted to the AFLW in her final year. 

Where I am now

- I was drafted to the Carlton Football Club in October 2020 (Year 12) where I have played the last four seasons. I am now going to play with the Greater Western Sydney Giants FC in Sydney. After school I went into a Bachelor of Sport Development at Deakin University, which I am still completing now. I also work a casual reception job a few hours a week.

What’s my favourite memory of MGSC

- My favourite memory of MGSC would be the house events, especially house music and house swimming. I loved being a part of a team that supported everyone and all their achievements.  

A teacher that had a significant impact on me

I have two teachers that had a significant impact on me during school. The first would be Mr Anthony Bruhn*. He was always very supportive and enthusiastic about my sporting career/achievements. He always encouraged me to strive for my best while also having fun. The other teacher is Ms Sam Sleep, my Year 12 English teacher. Year 12 was quite challenging she made class really enjoyable and 

*Mr Bruhn was a PE teacher who played professional Australian Rules while at MGSC. 

Advice to 13 year old self

My advice to my 13 year old self would be to try more new things. 13 is an exciting age where you start to discover who you are and what you like so it’s a great age to try new sports or instruments. 

Advice to Year 12

My advice is pretty cliche but it would be to enjoy every moment of Year 12. It goes by so fast without you even realising. Yes you should study and try your hardest but at the end of the day, the friendships and memories you make at school will outweigh any ATAR score and will last you a lifetime.

Daisy Walker