ESU President Update
In 2024 the Ex-Students’ Union (ESU) Committee continues to work hard to contribute to the Pymble Community with activities targeted at supporting current and former students. In this report, I will introduce our diverse and hard-working committee members, then overview some of our key activities from 2023 and for 2024.
The ESU Committee is represented by a diverse group of former students who each bring a unique skill set and make a valuable contribution to the committee. We are all passionate about a constructive and ongoing relationship with the College as well as cementing relationships amongst the Pymble Alumni. Our working backgrounds are diverse including insurance, corporate governance, not-for-profit, marketing and communications, business analytics, education, retail and full-time post-graduate students. We have an extremely collaborative and supportive culture that allows us all to balance busy lives, working, caring for families, and volunteering. We all find our work on the ESU Committee to be rewarding and interesting.
2023 Committee attending the Pymble Foundation Ball L to R: Zoe Wang, Susan O’Sullivan, Victoria Muller, Natalie Brandon, Amy Graham, Rowena Ditzell, Samantha Seaton, Louise Kellaway. Absent: Brigitte Liew (former committee member), Kris Graham (new committee member).
In 2024, the Committee continues to work on a range of projects designed to bring together former students and benefit current students at the College. A brief overview of some of the highlights of 2023 and plans for 2024 follows.
Each year, the ESU awards a 50% scholarship to the daughter or grand-daughter of former students entering Year 11. This scholarship is open to current students of the College and students not yet at the College. In conjunction with the College, nominated Committee members review applications and conduct the interviews. We are always so impressed by the calibre of the candidates, and it is enormously rewarding to be able to award this scholarship.
In 2024 the ESU continues to support the College Artist in Residence Program. This year we are supporting two programs, encompassing visual art and music. In the Junior School, artist Kate Temple, an author of picture books and junior fiction will work with small groups of Year 5 students to co-lead writing activities. In the Secondary School Natasha Holmes, a singer/songwriter, is working with the chaplaincy team to lift and enrich the music during students’ weekly chapel time.
Below are some of the beautiful examples of the artwork, completed by Junior School students with the Artist in Residence program in 2023.
In 2024 our Alumni Dance Group continues to work with the Pymble Dance Program, culminating in a performance in the Dance Showcase at the end of the year. This year we have approximately 20 ex-students participating in the group.
The ESU Committee is passionate about the power of networking to support career development and transition. In 2024, we will continue to work with the College on events such as the upcoming Alumni Networking Event in May as well as smaller industry-specific networking events such as the Women in Technology Event we ran in 2023.
Brigitte Liew, speaking at the 2023 Women in Technology Networking Event with panellists, Jasmine Logaraj, Laura Ly and Julia Mitchelmore
Brigitte Liew and Rowena Ditzell at ‘Women in Technology’ Networking event 2023
In the coming months, we are looking forward to other annual events including Commemoration Day Service on Sunday July 28, as well as our annual Garden Party stall on Saturday 21 September.
If you are interested in joining the Ex-Students’ Union Committee, we welcome new members and have plenty of ideas and work to go around. Please feel free to reach out to myself or other committee members.
Rowena Ditzell, ESU President: rowena.ditzell@gmail.com
Samantha Seaton, ESU Secretary: sammyseaton@gmail.com
Amy Graham, Vice President: amygraham114@gmail.com
Victoria Muller, Vice President: markandvicmuller@hotmail.com
