Alumnae - MSJ Collegians
Mount St. Joseph Girls' College
Meet the Alumnae
I am Josephine Cafagna and I am a proud former student of MSJ. I'm also proud to have been asked by the Sisters of St. Joseph to join the Board of Directors at MSJ. I am only new to the Board but already I have been delighted to see how much progress the College has made over the years. I have been even more impressed with the calibre of students and their leaders at the College.
I did VCE at Altona in 1977, after beginning my secondary education at MSJ Yarraville. Yes, there used to be an MSJ in Yarraville; it went up to form 4 (year 10 in today's language).
After graduating, I went to Swinburne University where I got an Arts degree majoring in Media Studies.
I then was fortunate to have a successful career in journalism that has lasted more than 30 years. It began at a radio station called 3XY (does anyone remember "Rocktober"?) and I went on to become an investigative reporter for 3AW and then ABC-TV, where I won a Walkley Award (the highest accolade in Australian journalism) and six Quill Awards. My specialty was political reporting and interviewing, which I practiced for several years as the presenter of Stateline (which subsequently became 7.30 Victoria).
In 2011 I was asked to join the Premier's Office as Director of Communications and subsequently Executive Director. It was a privilege to work for four years in the inner circle of the highest political office in this state.
I have now established my own company, Cafagna Communications, and love the diversity of working for a wide variety of clients, in particular advising CEOs and Members of Parliament on political, strategic and media matters.
As a proud product of MSJ, and still to this day a proud citizen of the west, I am thrilled to now have the opportunity to give back to MSJ in some small way by joining the Board and being involved with the workings of the College. I look forward to working with the Principal, the Sisters, the Board and, most of all, the students.
MSJ and the Sisters of St. Joseph gave me the inspiration, the motivation and the confidence and social conscience that I have carried with me throughout my career and life.
Josephine Cafagna