Where are they now?

Amber Sherlock (Higlett, 1993) 

I started at Pymble in Kindergarten in 1980 and remained a proud day girl until graduating in 1993. 

My years at Pymble were incredibly happy ones. In fact, I lived next door to the school, so I suspect some of the teachers thought I was a boarder because I seemed to be there all the time. Whether it was classes, sport, rehearsals, performances or extracurricular activities, I embraced every opportunity on offer. 

I was fortunate to learn from inspiring teachers who nurtured both my curiosity and creativity. I loved learning, but it was the performing arts that truly captured my imagination. I threw myself into every play, musical, dance production and performance opportunity available, learned several musical instruments and loved to sing. 

Sport was also a big part of my school life. I competed in athletics and played hockey, but by high school my focus increasingly shifted towards the arts. From Year 7 through to Year 12, I was a member of the Rock Eisteddfod dance troupe, and in my final year I was honoured to be named Captain of Performing Arts. 

English was always my favourite subject and sparked a lifelong love of writing and storytelling. After graduating from Pymble, I completed a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at the University of Technology Sydney. My first role was in the Channel Seven newsroom, researching and presenting news and lifestyle segments. Soon after, I combined my passion for journalism with my love of skiing by becoming a snow reporter in Thredbo, delivering daily snow reports for television audiences around Australia. 

I later moved into financial journalism, working for the Commonwealth Bank and CommSec, before spending several years in London as a journalist with ABN AMRO Mellon. On returning to Australia, I relocated to Canberra to host a Channel 10 news and current affairs program. From there, I joined Sky News as a newsreader and business presenter before moving to Channel Nine as a finance reporter, where the next chapter of my career would unfold. 

Over the next 18 years, I had the privilege of working across many of Nine’s flagship news and current affairs programs, including Today, Weekend Today and Nine News. I worked as a reporter, finance presenter, newsreader and weather presenter, and spent a decade as part of Sydney’s number one-rated 6pm news team alongside Peter Overton and James Bracey. 

Today, I have embarked on a new chapter, working independently as a writer, podcast host, media trainer and MC. It has been an exciting opportunity to build my own business while continuing to do what I enjoy most: communicating, storytelling and connecting with people. 

I still live on Sydney’s North Shore with my husband and our two children, aged 12 and 16. One of the greatest gifts from my years at Pymble has been the friendships that have endured long after graduation. Several of my closest school friends remain an important part of my life today, and it is especially rewarding to see our own children now spending time together and forming friendships of their own. 

Looking back, many of the skills and passions that have shaped my career were first nurtured at Pymble, and I remain grateful for the opportunities, friendships and sense of community that began there. 

Jemili Boutros (2014) 

Hello! My name is Jemili, and I had the privilege to graduate from Pymble Ladies’ College in 2014. You could call me a travel bug; I’m usually found in the aisle seat of a plane. So, it wasn’t much of a surprise to anyone when I traded my HSC notes for a one-way ticket to the U.S. My objective was simple: to attend a prestigious university and to build my career out here in the States. Taking that bet on myself meant navigating the hardships of the unknown and building a community from scratch, all while staying locked on my north star goal. I’m happy to say the leap paid off, leading me to a role at one of the world’s largest tech companies and a life in Los Angeles that I absolutely love. 

I left Sydney when I was eighteen. I remember when I first touched down at LAX feeling an immediate, inexplicable sense of home. It’s cliché to say all these years later, especially since our year’s HSC English topic was on “Belonging”, but I digress. I had no university enrolment lined up, no job, just pure determination and excitement and a lot of work to do.  

Not only was the first challenge navigating a new country and city, but it was also deciphering the American college system. From selecting a major to auditing credits, I had to learn fast because time and money were on the line. While I had help along the way, I quickly realized I was the only person accountable for the outcome. This experience forced me to grow up fast, I had to become my own researcher, advocate, and strategist. Trusting my gut paid off because after two years at community college, I was accepted to transfer to my dream school: Pepperdine University. This is where I finally felt a true momentum shift. Here, I found a community I was longing for, was living on a beautiful campus (you’ve likely seen snippets of it on Zoey101), and finally felt like I was really starting to thrive. 

In 2019, I graduated with a BA in Integrated Marketing Communication, a degree that balanced the three pillars of advertising, marketing, and PR. My interest in this field was sparked by my father where I heard him growing up speak about the magic of the creative process and inspired me to find my own path at the intersection of strategy and business. I walked across that stage armed with internships, strong grades, and a unique international perspective. I was certain I’d land my first full-time role in no time! 

I was wrong. 

I soon learned a lesson that I think is vital for every Pymble girl to hear: success is rarely a straight line. Six months went by and I was interviewing every week with different companies. I experienced every stage of the process, from promising phone calls to final back-to-back interviews, only to be met with ‘no’ or silence. It was a shocking and humbling season, but looking back, those months were a masterclass in professional patience. I learned how to handle rejection and how to stay ready for the right opportunity when it finally appeared. 

Then, a phone call from a dear friend changed everything. She reached out to me about an opening at a rapidly growing tech platform, and although it was a departure from the traditional path I had envisioned, I recognized the incredible potential of the creator economy. I decided to lean into the opportunity and secured a role in the Trust and Safety division at TikTok. That was nearly seven years ago, and I’m happy to say I’m still waiting for the last day of that first job. It has proven to be an incredibly fast-paced and challenging environment, and what a way to kickstart my career. 

It goes without saying that your choices lead you to where you’ll end up. At eighteen, graduating from Pymble, I couldn’t have dreamed this would be the outcome from all of my hard work! If I could tell my 18-year-old this would be her story, I don’t think she’d believe it. But that is the power of persistence and grit, it compounds over time. When you stay the course, you eventually look back and realise you’ve built something meaningful. 

And as we started, we will end with another truism, the beauty of life really is in the journey, not the destination. So, with that, some final advice I think is worth sharing whether you’re a diligent “Type A” planner or someone grappling with the weight of uncertainty: 

Don’t be the one to say no to yourself, leave that for someone else to do that for you. 

Be flexible on your path forward and how you get there, be stubborn on your goal. 

Discomfort is just the byproduct of being a beginner. Keep showing up until the struggle turns into a strength. 

Make sure to wear sunscreen every day. 

Remember to have some fun every now and then, because really, that’s the point.