Kate Lancaster, a manager at a wind energy firm, was asked by Ourschool to describe her experience of being invited back to her old school to speak to students:
“It was such a wonderful experience reconnecting with my school, Cranbourne Secondary College.
“The alumni program is such a great initiative. It’s changed my feelings about having attended public school.
“School was just school, growing up. I didn’t know people judged you on which school you went to until I went to university. When you’re younger it matters what other people think. I guess I started to believe it too.
“Going back to Cranbourne Secondary College gave me plenty of time to reflect on my time there and how it shaped me as a person.
“There were teachers who believed in my abilities, and it made a difference to my confidence and what I thought was achievable.
“My school gave me a solid education and the resilience that I needed to work in tough, male-dominated industries including media, politics, and energy.
“They’re doing great things at my old school, and it makes me proud.”
– Kate Lancaster, class of 1994, Cranbourne Secondary College. Kate is the stakeholder manager at BlueFloat Energy Australia, a wind electric power generation company.