Alumni Program
Koonung Secondary College
ALUMNA SPOTLIGHT
Alice Terrill
Class of 2018
PhD Candidate and Assistant Lecturer at Monash University
Where has life taken you since graduating from Koonung?
After finishing high school I started a Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Science (honours) at Monash University and loved it. In my second year of study I started work running Peer Assisted Study Sessions through the university. As my degree progressed, I picked up more casual roles, gaining experience in the Student Experiences team, Access, Inclusion & Success team, and as a research assistant.
In 2023 I began a PhD at Monash University, and also commenced working as a Teaching Associate. My PhD investigates antimicrobial resistance, with a focus on how we can optimise dosing regimens to ensure effective treatment and minimise the emergence of resistance. Through my studies I travelled to Perth, Sydney, and Spain to present my research!
In 2024, I also took on the role of Assistant Lecturer.
What memorable experiences or achievements have shaped your life since finishing / graduating from Koonung?
I have kept a strong involvement with Rotary (after being a keen member of Interact while at Koonung). This volunteering has taught me a whole range of skills that have allowed me to truly test my limits and also excel at work. My involvement with Rotary has taken me on numerous trips to Sydney and Canberra, as well as one to Singapore where I was a panellist at an international conference! The world-wide band of friends I have gained from these experiences is amazing.
What does your job involve?
My PhD involves both time in the lab and at my desk. In the lab I spend time growing bacteria, and trying to kill them. I do a lot of pipetting and working with petri dishes to test bacteria with different antibiotics. At my desk, I am developing mathematical models that describe and predict the results we see. A PhD also involves a lot of reading, to keep up to date with the latest literature, and writing, to share my results.
As an Assistant Lecturer I teach undergraduate students, and also support content development and delivery.
What do you most enjoy about your work?
Working in the lab, playing fun tunes, and getting to answer the questions that no one has ever tested before is really cool!
What skills or qualities are important in your line of work?
Perseverance is more important than anything else to get through a PhD.
What are your favourite memories of your time at Koonung?
It would have to be the lunch times spent with friends, I track what year I was in by where we used to hang out at lunch. The laughter and conversations shared with them shaped my teenage years.
How would you describe yourself as a school student?
I was a very studious and dedicated student, and a true nerd as the Interact Captain in year 12.
When you were a student at Koonung, what did you imagine you would do for a career?
Nothing where I had to use code - which I do now for my mathematical models! I knew I loved science but honestly had no idea what careers were available in that field.
If you could go back & give advice to your school aged teenage self, what would that be?
Always stay true to yourself and always be kind. You don't know what anyone else's full story is, but you're all just trying your best to make sense of your place in the world and that's not easy. So be kind.
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