COMMUNITY
ALUMNI NEWS
“Think differently”
On Tuesday 29 March, we were delighted to welcome back alumni Riccardo Gentiluomo - owner of Image To Brand Business Photography and Riccardo Photography - for an afternoon of talks with our Year 10 Multimedia and Unit 3-4 Studio Arts students.
Ric told students how his interest in photography started when he was just a child. When he used to tell people that he wanted to be a photographer, the common response was "that's a hobby, get a real job"! So after graduating from Bell Park High School (one of our founding schools) in 1989, he got a job in one of Geelong's camera stores.
Through persistence and ingenuity, Ric has gone on to work as a photographer in journalism, fashion, weddings, portraits and corporate fields in a successful three-decade career. There have also been challenges along the way, such as dealing with burnout and the pandemic.
Ric talked about his story, successes and many awards in a personable and humble way. He encouraged students to think differently, be creative, take opportunities, work hard and study Business Management if they’d like to follow in his footsteps.
Following each presentation, Ric also gave a portrait photography demo to show us how he makes clients feel at ease and work with lighting to get a great shot.
Our day with Ric has been a long time coming, as we postponed his visit several times last year due to the pandemic. Thank you to Ric for his patience and generosity in volunteering to inspire our students.
Careers that Care
Last week saw an exciting new initiative in the development of our Alumni Program. We banded together with some of the fellow Ourschool alumni programs in the Geelong region and harnessed our collective alumni networks to bring a special opportunity to life for our students.
Alumni, students and staff from five Geelong schools – Belmont HS, Matthew Flinders Girls SC, Newcomb SC, North Geelong SC and Western Heights College – came together for the Careers that Care alumni Q&A session on Friday.
A group of 14 students from WHC joined other Year 10-11 students from around Geelong to hear from past students who work in roles that care for others:
- Jessie Christiaans, Matthew Flinders Girls SC Class of 2014, occupational therapist and business owner
- Cassie Balazs, North Geelong SC Class of 2004, early psychosis clinician
- Gab Pappalardo, Newcomb SC Class of 2008, TAC manager
- Campbell Buchanan-Huhn, Belmont HS Class of 2014, teacher
- Nicole Scott, Western Heights College Class of 2013, mental health youth worker.
Each panelist spoke about their career journeys, school days, what inspired them to follow their pathways, benefits and challenges of their jobs, and more. Students could also ask their own questions towards the end of the session.
Some of the key memorable phrases from the day included: “have fun, enjoy what you do”, “create your own luck with hard work and determination”, “you’re enough and you are loved” and “chase what lights you up”.
Thank you to our alumni speakers for their great advice, Newcomb SC for hosting us and providing lunch, and our school staff and leaders for supporting this initiative for our students.
Jennifer Chiu | Alumni Program Coordinator
The College has a Facebook page which is great for keeping up to date with details around the College.
https://www.facebook.com/westernheightscollege/
