Kilvonian Profiles

Amanda Berry, Class of 1978

 Deputy Dean (Research), and Professor of STEM Education in the Faculty of Education Monash University 

Q. Tell us a little bit about yourself 

A. I am Deputy Dean (Research) and Professor of STEM Education in the Faculty of Education at Monash University. That job takes up a lot of my time, but when I have free time I love to play beach volleyball! 

Q. What year did you finish at Kilvington?

A. 1978 – way back in the last century! 

Q. What is your favourite memory of Kilvington?

A. I have many favourite memories. I loved performing in the Gilbert and Sullivan operettas that Mrs Venn led each year. Rehearsals were always fun, even though hard work and it was a wonderful way to build new friendships. I still sing many of the songs (much to the annoyance of my friends and family)! 

Q. Any funny stories?

A. Yes, many! It’s probably not a good idea to share them because the funniest ones involved playing tricks on the teachers :).

Q. What happened after you left Kilvington?

A. After Year 12, I completed a Bachelor of Education at Melbourne CAE (now Melbourne University) in 1982, then went on to teach Biology, Science and English in different secondary schools across Melbourne.  After several years of teaching, I decided to change career and become a chef, although I soon realised that this was not the industry for me. A small, hot kitchen and a social life that started after midnight was not so fun! After that, I returned to teaching, and also began further studies in education. I completed my PhD in Education in 2005 and began my career in academia at the same time. I have worked my way from lecturer through to Professor, working at three different universities in Australia and The Netherlands. 

Q. Did you end up where you expected you would when you finished school?

A. Not at all! I had no idea that working as a university academic could even be a career. I am the first person in my family to go university so it is not something that my family ever talked about when I was growing up. 

Q. What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve had to face to get where you are now?

A. Developing a career as an academic is very challenging! It is a competitive environment and it can really test your self-belief and confidence. The pressure to be successful can be overwhelming. Learning to manage those feelings and building a supportive network of friends and colleagues has been an important way for me to deal with the high-pressure environment – as well as reminding myself to keep a good balance of work and social time, including playing beach volleyball! 

Q. What advice would you give to others who might be faced with similar obstacles?

A. Recognise that many high achieving people, especially women, can put themselves under a lot of self-imposed pressure to be ‘the best’. Find someone who you trust who can encourage you to see things in proper perspective. Take time away from study to relax.   

Q. What has been your biggest highlight so far?

A. A recent career highlight is my appointment as Head of Research for the Faculty of Education at Monash. In this role, I am leading the development of our research strategy and supporting academics across the Faculty to connect their research with the pressing challenges of education. 

Q. What excites you about the future?

A. Young people and their capabilities. I am hopeful and excited about the ways in which young people can contribute to a better future. We need to create opportunities to hear young people’s ideas and to collaborate with them in making change for the better. 

Q. How did what you learnt at Kilvington help make you the person you are today?

A. Ireally appreciate the breadth of educational experiences and many different kinds of opportunities that were available to me at Kilvington. I like to think I am a well-rounded person and that has been strongly influenced by my Kilvington education. 

Q. Any advice for our current Year 12 students as they embark on the next phase of their journey?

A. Listen to the advice of others with an open mind, then choose your own path. 

Peter Yu, Class of 2017

Q. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

A. I’m Peter! I’m currently 22 years young and studying Doctor of Medicine at Deakin University. I moved to Australia from China in 2009 so I have spent approximately half my life here and half overseas. 

In my spare time I enjoy playing basketball, going to the gym and learning new songs on the guitar. I am also a super sociable person and love meeting new people, so I often find myself at university club and local community events.

Q. What is your favourite memory of Kilvington?

A. Year 12 formal was a highlight for me. The atmosphere was amazing and I came out of it with lots of photos and great memories. We had lots of photos with the VCE classes we were in and the teachers were in it too. Got some great photos with Mr Ymer and the Maths Methods class we had.

Q. Any funny stories?

A. I started at Kilvington Term 2 of Year 7, and three days into my Kilvington journey was the School camp. It was also my birthday that day and Mrs Lehman got me a cake and everyone to sing happy birthday to me. The funny part was no one knew who I was.

Q. What happened after you left Kilvington?

A. I started the Bachelor of Science at University of Melbourne, just graduated last year in 2020. Now I am doing post grad medicine. Med pathway is very challenging so I studied super hard for three years to get in, but along the way I absolutely adored the social aspects and independence uni life brings.

Q. Did you end up where you expected you would when you finished school?

A. Yes I did. I had one goal in my mind (to get into medicine) and currently I am living it. 

Q. What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve had to face to get where you are now?

A. Medicine is probably one of the most challenging careers for students to get into. It not only involves academic excellence, but also great interpersonal skills and resourcefulness. It was very tough to spend the majority of high school aiming for it, then having to go through another three years of intense studies to achieve it. Mentally this was tiring but staying focused was the key for me. In the end, I cannot be happier where I am right now and I’m very proud I reached my goal. 

Q. What advice would you give to others who might be faced with similar obstacles?

A. The pathway into medicine can range anywhere from straight in after high school, to “I have done five degrees and three careers and now I am in medicine”. Most people in my cohort (~ 60-70%) for medicine are above the age of 25, and have had prior careers or longer pathways they undertook to get in. We have students who were teachers, public relations consultants, physiotherapists … you name it. The one piece of advice I would offer is, there is a way to get in, it might just take some time and lead you onto some unexpected pathways.

Q. What has been your biggest highlight so far?

A. Must be the holiday after I graduated from my Bachelors degree. I received my offer for medicine, which meant I was finally stress-free and did not have to study for external exams such as GAMSAT anymore. The satisfaction that I have now achieved my long-term goal for the past half a decade was indescribable. I went on a few road trips with close friends, met lots of new people and ate a lot of good food. Could not ask for much more!

Q. What excites you about the future?

A. I am super excited about my career. In a years’ time I will be doing full time placement at hospitals as a medical student. The practical aspect certainly gets me excited. I am also moving to Geelong as my campus is there, and three of us just got accepted for a lease today. I’ve always been very independent, so I’m intrigued to find out what living by yourself/with other peers will be like. 

Q. How did what you learnt at Kilvington help make you the person you are today?

Being at Kilvington exposed me to great people who have had, or continue to have, a lasting impact on me. Reflecting on my teenage years, I realised that it was so important to surround yourself with people you admire and push you to become a better person. I feel that Kilvington’s environment and teaching staff really helped me realise that, and for that I am very grateful.

Q. Any advice for our current Year 12 students as they embark on the next phase of their journey?

A. Careers are not decided permanently straight out of high school. University is super flexible and offers so many different pathways. Find out what you really want to do, then embark on a pathway that points you in that direction. It might take some time or experimentation, but you’ll certainly get there if you persist.