Meet our Alumnae

Could you see yourselves working together in the future?

Marina: Funnily enough, we were working on the same team at Aurecon earlier this year!

Monica: We do work together - Abdelmalek sisters taking over the world!

What advice do you give to current Ave students as they think about their future and careers?

Marina: I have two pieces of advice for the Ave girls. Firstly, don’t feel pressured to know exactly what you want to do at the end of year 12. You’re only 18! You have your whole life to figure it out and year 12 is only the first steppingstone.

My second piece of advice is to make sure you don’t romanticize different career paths - make sure you find people who have pursued similar careers and ask them all the questions you have. Do your research and never be afraid to explore different avenues and embrace your curiosity.

Monica: It’s completely normal to feel unsure about your career in high school – it is a big decision to make, but just remember that you’re never locked into a career. The beauty about picking a degree when you’re 18 is that you have your whole life ahead of you to try out different things!

Don’t be afraid of hard work, having ambitions is so important. During the transition from high school to university, you’ll learn so much about yourself and you will grow immensely. So be kind to yourself during this time and never doubt your abilities – you’re more capable than you might think you are!

Thank you Marina and Monica.

Marina Abdelmalek Monica Abdelmalek

CAREERS WEEK PANEL

As part of National Career’s Week from 17 – 23 May 2021, the College welcomed back seven past students as part of an Ave Alumnae Panel presentation for our Senior School students. The panellists from various graduating years, working in different industries all shared insight into their career paths after high school and provided advice for current students in following their passions.

FIONA MCHUGH (CLASS OF 1994) - General Manager of People Safety, Health and Wellness at V/Line

Word of advice: “When opportunity comes knocking, say yes!”

DR LOUISE LA SALA (CLASS OF 2007) – Researcher on the Suicide Prevention Unit at Orygen, the Centre for Youth Mental Health at the University of Melbourne.

Word of advice: “It is so important to always prioritise your mental health. You can’t do well if you don’t feel well.”

BRIDGET MARCHESE (CLASS OF 2016) – Human Anatomy tutor at La Trobe University

Word of advice: “Follow your passions and eventually everything will fall into place.”

CATHERINE MCCARTHY (CLASS OF 2017) – Marketing and Communications Officer at Ave Maria College Word of advice: “Never underestimate how much you can learn from those around you.”

MADELEINE CARRICK (CLASS OF 2017) – Bachelor of Biomedicine (Honours) Graduate at Victoria University and Thesis student at The University of Melbourne

Word of advice: “Don’t build a glass ceiling over your own head, always have faith in your abilities.”

MADDISON COTTLE (CLASS OF 2018) – Founder of For The Soul AU

Word of advice: “Things won’t always turn out how you expected them to, but sometimes the unexpected is what you needed all along.”

NEISHA SCULLY (CLASS OF 2019) – Bachelor of Laws/Arts (Politics and International Relations) Student at Australian Catholic University

Word of advice: “It is one thing to have dreams but is another to work as hard as you possibly can to make them a reality.”