Where are they now?
Jasmine Chen (2017)
It’s hard to believe that I graduated from Pymble three years before COVID—those days feel like they belong to a completely different lifetime.
Looking back now, my time at Pymble was both challenging and fulfilling. Despite school ending at 3pm, I always found a way to fill my afternoons with activities—whether it was dance, cooking, or coding. I’m especially grateful to Dr. Spence for creating the Tinkering with Technology program (which later evolved into the FRC Robotics program), because it gave students like me the space to explore and experiment, and discover passions we might not have uncovered otherwise. I’ve always enjoyed building things and figuring out how they work, and I still remember the hours I spent in the Science building fiddling with Arduinos—waiting for the lights to finally blink in the right pattern, then immediately dreaming up the next project I wanted to try. Those small experiments offered a glimpse of where my interests could take me and gave me direction for what I wanted to pursue next.
From Year 8, I knew that I wanted to study in the US. I wanted the freedom to explore different fields before committing to a single path, and the US system encourages this flexibility. I also knew that if I were to go into the tech industry, there are far more opportunities in the US, and having a degree there would make both the job search and visa process much simpler.
In September 2018, I packed my life into a few suitcases and flew across the world to Philadelphia to begin my degree at the University of Pennsylvania. Over the next four years, I completed a dual degree program, studying Computer Science in the Engineering school and Finance at the Wharton School. To keep myself sane amidst all the coding and problem sets, I also pursued a minor in Music, which made for some of the most unique and memorable moments of my time at Penn. In a class called “Recording Music”, for example, we created a piece entirely out of three recorded sounds: water, a leaf, and a vocal. In another class, “Performance, Analysis and History”, we studied a composer in depth each semester and analyzed their works. We were placed into chamber groups to learn pieces from that composer, and during class, we were coached by professional musicians in the Daedalus Quartet. My favorite part was watching the performances evolve through the guidance of the coaches, gradually transforming week by week and culminating in a final concert at the end of the semester. The university’s newsletter even covered this class given its multidisciplinary and unique nature—here’s the article if you’d like to learn more about it: https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/music-merger.
Outside of academics, I brought a little taste of home to Penn through the Australians and New Zealanders student club, where I introduced my friends to Milo, fairy bread, and sausage sizzles. I was also actively involved in a business fraternity, where the friendships I built became some of my strongest support systems—whether it was preparing for an important interview, spending a quiet evening just hanging out, or heading out together on a Friday night to celebrate the end of a long week.
Beyond campus life, being in Philadelphia meant I had extraordinary access to world-class music. With the Curtis Institute of Music and the Philadelphia Orchestra just 15 minutes from campus, both offering affordable student memberships, I had the chance to hear legendary musicians like Hilary Hahn, Evgeny Kissin, Emanuel Ax, and Daniil Trifonov bring music to life. In fact, during my senior year of college, I spent almost every Friday afternoon in the concert hall, taking advantage of all that the city had to offer musically. Those hours became a way to pause from the chaos of college life and lose myself in the music.
Graduation marked the start of a new chapter in New York City. I thought my future was neatly mapped out: a software engineering role at Meta to gain a few years of experience in big tech, then the tech world is my oyster. But life rarely goes as planned. Just two months into the job, I was swept up in Meta’s first mass layoff, part of the 11,000 employees suddenly left without jobs. I was thrown into one of the most tumultuous markets in the tech industry with only five months of experience, all while facing the possibility of losing my visa if I couldn’t secure a job within three months.
It was a very dark winter—companies everywhere were laying off, and every open position demanded at least five years of experience, not five months. Each day was filled with a blur of applications, cover letters, and automated rejection emails. I sent out more than 500 applications in the span of three months, and at night, the application forms I had filled out that day lingered in front of my eyes. Eventually, spring came—both figuratively and literally—bringing with it a long-awaited sense of relief. I received offers to work at JPMorgan as a software engineer and to pursue graduate studies at Columbia. A year later, I found myself at my current fintech company, Affirm, continuing to build my career as a software engineer while also studying part-time for a master’s degree in Machine Learning.
Since graduating from Pymble, life has been anything but predictable. Looking back, the twists and turns have taught me many lessons, but two in particular stand out.
The first lesson that has stayed with me is to always be ready for opportunities and for challenges. As cliché as it sounds, change truly is the only constant. Readiness isn’t about predicting the future; it’s about putting yourself in the best shape possible. Keep an open mind as you continue learning and sharpening your skills, so that when opportunities arise, you’re prepared to jump at them and grow. At the same time, readiness means having the strength and tools to face challenges head-on and tackle whatever obstacles life throws your way.
The second lesson is to not be afraid to reach out for help. The support of my community gave my journey a sense of fulfillment it never could have had alone. During the Meta layoff, my friends showed up for me in countless ways—dropping off pastries and ice cream, keeping me connected when I might have otherwise withdrawn, and listening patiently when I needed to vent. Alumni I had never even met went out of their way to help, offering referrals at their companies, connecting me with their networks, and even taking time out of their busy schedules to help me prepare for interviews. Their advice reshaped how I approached the process and gave me the confidence I needed to succeed. Whether it’s reaching out to an upperclassman for advice, asking a professor for a letter of recommendation, or seeking guidance from professionals on LinkedIn whose career paths inspire you, taking that step to ask is almost always worthwhile. The worst you can hear is “no,” but more often than not, people are willing to help—and that support can open doors you didn’t think possible.
The journey from Pymble to where I am now has been filled with cherished memories and unexpected turns. I could never have predicted it all, but I’m deeply grateful for each step and for the people who have walked alongside me, and I’m excited to see how the next chapter unfolds.
If you read it all the way to the end, thank you for sticking with me and my rambles. Here’s a hello from my COVID kitties: Timmy and Tammy 🙂
Belinda Gurd (1998)
Since leaving Pymble in 1998, I’ve been fortunate to enjoy an interesting, invigorating, and rewarding career — and life.
Looking back, I cherished my time at Pymble, and I’m delighted that my niece can now enjoy the same experiences my sister and I once treasured. Beyond the discipline and strong work ethic the school instilled, what stands out most for me are the exceptional opportunities and unwavering support I received. My Year 11 Textiles & Design Tour to Europe first ignited my curiosity about living abroad—a passion that has since taken me to London, New York, Paris, Amsterdam, and almost everywhere in between.
Currently, I live and work in Amsterdam, in The Netherlands. I have been here for three years. Before that, I worked for the United Nations in New York and Paris. My role is in communications and advocacy, where I try hard to raise awareness for vulnerable communities caught up in conflicts and natural disasters, as well as advocate for important issues such as International Humanitarian Law, Gender Equality, and Human Rights.
UN Building in NYC ( 2015)
There have been far too many incredible moments in my time at the UN to list them all but working on the humanitarian response in South Sudan and supporting cyclone recovery efforts in Mozambique are close to the top. I was also lucky enough to see Obama speak at the General Assembly, witness the heartfelt testimony of a Syrian mother address Member States, and to have met influential people from across the globe in my bid to shine a light on the strength and resilience of some of the bravest people living in darkest corners of the world.
I am very lucky in that I have always wanted to get up and go to work every day. I love what I do and always have. I really believe that finding a mission or a purpose in what we do, day in and day out, is so important. It is the difference between loving your life and just living it.
Belinda in South Sudan 2019
How did I get here? My path was far from conventional. My advice for the girls at Pymble is to work hard to create opportunities for yourself, follow your passion, do what you love. When doors open, say yes. Knowing that your hard work and passion prepares you for that open door.
My first degree was a Bachelor of Design at UNSW. I was terrible at it (I almost failed!), but I refused to give up because I knew a degree mattered. At school, I loved design and art — my HSC work was even featured in Art Express, at the Art Gallery of NSW — so I thought it was the right choice. In hindsight, my heart was in writing and psychology, but it took a few more years for me to realise that.
After finishing my Bachelors, I moved to London for two years, worked in admin to pay my way, backpacking around Europe and Africa. I returned to Australia in 2016 and began a degree in Journalism and a certificate in Public Relations. I was much better at writing and storytelling, so it was an easy step into Marketing and Public Relations.
My first real job was at Virgin. I started as a PR assistant, and by the time I left Virgin for New York, 8 years later, I was head of Public Relations for Asia Pacific. I adored my work with Virgin. I often took journalists to Hong Kong, Shanghai, London, and Japan, I organised major travel industry events across Sydney, and ran global marketing campaigns. Honestly, though, the real highlight was spending my 30th birthday with Richard Branson in Bondi!
Belinda hosting at a Virgin Atlantic event in LA in 2014
I moved to New York when I was 33. New York is a magical place: fast-paced, full of opportunity, and brimming with people willing to help you realise your wildest ideas. Every corner, cafe, restaurant, and subway ride offers the tantalizing excitement of possibility – one conversation with the right person and your life can change in a New York minute. And that’s exactly what happened. I was in the right place, at the right time, with the right connections which landed me my job at the United Nations, and life completely opened up. The city is a melting pot of culture, hard work, and curiosity — truly the city where dreams are made. Believe what they say “ if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere”. It was a fabulous way to spend my thirties, and I would highly recommend it.
The adventure didn’t end there. I moved to Paris for two years. where I worked for UNESCO – the UN office for Education, Science, and Culture. I tried very hard to learn French, only partially succeeding. Paris is something else. It is a constant juxtaposition of grace and grit, dirt and dignity, and a fabulousness that only the French have, a kind of joie de vivre that respects a slow pace of life. I love Paris for teaching me to slow down, take my time, to appreciate the small things.
I have had an incredible life following my instincts. I’ve trained as a yoga and meditation instructor in India, ran the Amsterdam Marathon, studied Buddhism and mindfulness in New York, travelled to Bhutan, climbed Everest Base Camp, all whilst doing my best to get home as much as possible so I could be a part of the lives of my niece and two nephews, who I have had the privilege of watching grow into incredible humans.
I’m now close to completing my Master’s in Psychology and will become a registered psychologist in Australia in 2026. It’s by far the hardest degree I’ve undertaken, and the biggest career change I’ll make. While global advocacy is deeply meaningful, I wanted to have a more direct impact on individuals, so I returned to my long-standing fascination with psychology and the human mind, beginning my studies at age 38 (I am now 45! So it’s been a long road).
Since leaving Pymble, I’ve learned so much about myself and the world: work hard, create your own opportunities, say yes, and never let the world dictate how you show up in it.
I cherish my years at Pymble. The school gave me academic grounding, but also the confidence to understand who I was and what I could achieve. Most importantly, it gave me friendships that remain some of the strongest in my life today.
Jemima McCalman (2017)
I’d like to start this by stating I feel much too young to be contributing to the ‘Where are they now’ section of this newsletter. Whilst cliched, it really does feel like only yesterday that I would have been writing a piece for ‘View outside my window’. Instead, I am now 8 years out of school and happily reflecting on my time leading up to, throughout, and following Pymble. I’m writing this from Toulouse in France where I now live playing professional rugby, but we’ll get to that later…
I was born in central west NSW and grew up in a small town called Cumnock, which I still consider home. I was raised by my parents Claudia, an English teacher, and Andy, a farmer, alongside my older brother Jack and older sister Issie (2015). My schooling journey began at Cumnock Public School in 2004. Even before I began school, I had discovered a love for sport that would largely shape the rest of my life (so far!) I participated in activities such as Little Athletics, peewee rugby, soccer, dance, triathlon, hockey and Pony Club.
When I was 8, my brother left for boarding school at The Kings School and my sister and I joined my Mum who started teaching at Kinross Wolaroi School in Orange, an hour away from our farm. This was our chance to experience a “big school” before we eventually went to boarding school ourselves. I thrived at KWS, especially enjoying an introduction to netball and the performing arts. I also started being coached at running for the first time. This was slightly different than being dropped at our mailbox by a parent after school and being told, “see you at home” (3km later!)
Whilst initially enrolled in Abbotsleigh, following the path of my older sister who began boarding there herself in Year 7, these plans quickly changed after I happened to visit the Pymble grounds. Joining my parents to watch my sister compete in her Saturday sport against Pymble, I remember driving into the grounds and saying ‘hang on a second – schools in Sydney can look like this?’ Whilst at the time, my desire to attend Pymble was based purely on the grounds, it was the discovery of the performing arts program, the elite sportswomen pathways and the offer of rowing as a sport, that cinched the decision.
I left home at age 12 to attend Pymble. Whilst battling the woes of homesickness throughout my first few months, I was also exposed to the most exciting and delightful experiences within both the boarding community and the day school. Living in Marden house, I shared the highs and lows of starting ‘big school’ with the other Year 7s, was introduced to afternoon leave at Gordon shops by the Year 8s, and taught the game of assassins by the year 9s. This included me throwing a washing basket at Molly Garling at 6am as she waited outside my room to kill me. I am very proud to say I won my first game of assassins in year 7, it has remained one of the highlights of my school experiences, which probably says more about me than I’d like it to. Weekends were spent chalk drawing around the school, playing 44 home in the amphitheatre, and riding the bikes down the main driveway. I cherished the feeling that although everyone came to school, it was we boarders who really knew the place. After all, it was our home.
Soon I was in Year 9, and now as the leaders of Marden house, it was our year group teaching the fresh-faced year 7s the lore of boarding. After 10 years it feels safe to now admit that it was my year group who stole the second key to the kitchen cupboard. I am not proud of it (yes I am) but this ensured we had steady access to the Jatz, Mint Slices and Tim Tams whenever the kitchen supply was running low. We were very strategic with our ‘heists’ and only pulled them off for our weekend movie marathons or other special occasions.
Pymble nurtured my love for sport, and I was lucky enough to compete for the school in Athletics, Cross Country, Soccer, Netball, Rowing, Softball, and Touch Football. Particular highlights include my crew’s 2015 Head of the River win, 6 IGSSA Netball and Athletics titles, and the 2017 IGSSA Cross Country Championships, where we finally knocked Abbotsleigh out of the top spot. The performing arts at Pymble also provided a significant measure of joy and satisfaction. Somewhere in the ethosphere there exists evidence of me in a purple waistcoat performing as Willy Wonka in our production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory… unsurprisingly, not pictured here. In my final year at Pymble, the school introduced Rugby 7s, which I excitedly signed up for. Unbeknownst to me at the time, this would be a decision that would significantly shape my future.
I left Pymble a confident young woman, shaped by the boarding community, my teachers, peers, and teammates, and ready to take my next step in the real world. I immediately began my university degree at the University of Technology, Sydney, a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) and Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation, and moved into St Andrews College at Sydney University. Here, I began to play Rugby 7s with the Sydney University Football Club, as well as train with the NSW 7s development program. In my first year out of school I competed for Australia at the World University 7s championships in Namibia and Sydney University in the AON 7s competition across Australia.
After my first year at uni, I changed my degree and began studying Law in addition to my Communications degree. I enjoyed juggling rugby and university. The higher I rose in my rugby career the less time I could apply to my studying, however this made me prioritise my time more efficiently and focus more effectively when required. I began to play 15 a side rugby more seriously, and found myself being selected in representative teams.
In 2020, I was selected in the Australian Wallaroos squad. In 2022 I made my debut for the ACT Brumbies in the Super Rugby Women’s league (Australia’s national competition), and later that year I made my debut for the Australian Wallaroos. My aim was to represent Australia at the RWC at the end of 2022. However, elite sport is demanding and after playing 4 test matches for Australia, my body started to fail me. Unfortunately, when I contracted Covid 19, the virus attacked both my heart and thyroid. Following appointments with specialists it was decided that I needed to put an indefinite pause not just on my rugby career, but on physical activity in general.
However, disheartening this experience was, it made me grateful I had applied myself as much to uni as I had to my rugby. Instead of wallowing in a pit of despair, which truth be told I still did at times, I was able to redirect my attention to my degree and begin to consider what life would look like for me after I graduated. This led to me becoming a part time in-house paralegal at Samsung, which was my first job in the legal sector. I loved the experience of working in a different type of team, and it made me appreciate the valuable skills I had acquired through years of team sport. In my penultimate year of my degree, I started gradually exercising and then playing rugby again, this time whilst maintaining my job as a paralegal.
Also in my penultimate year of study, I was offered a Summer Clerkship at the law firm King and Wood Mallesons where I worked for 12 weeks over summer in a few teams including Real Estate and Dispute Resolution. This led to a graduate offer which I accepted but have momentarily deferred as I had an exciting opportunity to play rugby overseas.
My return to professional rugby following my illness was not smooth sailing. My first attempt saw me break my finger and require surgery, pushing back my return for another couple of months. My second attempt saw me break my foot, again requiring surgery and pushing back my return. They say third time’s a charm, but unfortunately for me this was also not the case. Another season ending ankle injury (this time no surgery!) again prevented my return to high level rugby. I’m sure many of you reading this might question why I attempted to continue to play. However, these lessons guided me back into club rugby, where I rediscovered my love for the game. This is what allowed me to look for overseas opportunities, where the focus was not to reach a particular level, but instead to develop as a player. And thus, after completing my studies in mid 2025, and winning a Grand Final with Sydney Uni, I jumped on a plane to the south of France.
I am currently living in Blagnac, a small village abutting Toulouse, playing professional rugby in the Élite 1 competition. My days consist of team trainings, learning French, going to the markets and trying to not eat every croissant I come across. The French way of life is relaxed, the people here are friendly, and most people are rugby mad. I am playing my best rugby, and learning to be intuitive with my team mates when I can’t quite think of a translation mid match. The language barrier is difficult, but it is forcing me to learn and find other ways to communicate and I relish the challenge.
I am incredibly lucky that my love for sport has allowed me to shape my life into what it is now. As my time in France is coming to an end shortly, I am beginning to contemplate what my next steps look like. Eventually I will return home to Australia to put my law degree to good use, but for now? It is a shorter plane trip to England and that’s where the best rugby comp in the world is…
A small note- a month after writing this I signed a contract to play with the Leicester Tigers in the English Premier League! I can confirm that the plane trip was definitely shorter, and I am looking forward to starting the next chapter in my career.
