Making a connection

Where are they now?Lessons learned in the FCAC Lifestyle, flexibility and Music Department. Forbes Magazine.

Jake Bradford (Andromeda, 2013) Joy Monkivitch (Capella, 2013)

For Jake Bradford (Andromeda, 2013), the FCAC Music Department was an important part of his experience and taught him many important lessons. “In the moment, I probably didn’t realise, but looking back, music taught me to carefully manage time. Our music tutors/conductors always emphasised the importance of everyone attending rehearsals; otherwise, we wouldn’t play well together”.

Since finishing at FCAC, Jake has moved on to become a researcher at QUT. Jake is working on a recently discovered technology named CRISPR, which is gene-editing technology. He said, “I knew this would be a cool/interesting/worthwhile opportunity to take on - so I did, and I am glad that I did. I have really enjoyed working in academia, mostly for research but also for the teaching/service aspect.”

You can hear more about Jake’s time at FCAC and his postschool adventures by clicking on the QR code. It is all a matter of perspective for Joy Monkivitch (Capella, 2013) as she looks back on her journey since leaving FCAC. “I studied occupational therapy and worked with my brother on his e-commerce business”she said. Joy is now a partner in that business and together they run the fashion brand, Sincere Sally.

Joy enjoyed the flexibility she had being a qualified Occupational Therapist and working on Sincere Sally while travelling in Europe. “I really enjoyed working when I wanted and where I wanted”. Fast forward a few years and Joy, along with her brother Bryce, were featured in Forbes Magazine. “When they reached out, we really didn’t believe it. It was a huge moment for my brother, for me and for Sincere Sally”. In 2019, Sincere Sally was recognized as one of the fastest growing online businesses in Australia. Joy said that their success and the article in Forbes are wonderful but at the centre of it all it is a family business.

As an FCAC student, Joy said she was involved in lots of activities, she was involved in sport and was Chapel Captain in her final year. When asked for her advice for current senior students she said “Don’t put so much pressure on yourself, take it easy, enjoy your time at school because the craziness of adulthood will come very soon”.

Making a connection

One of the cornerstones for psychological and physical wellbeing is the need for healthy social connections. This has never been more crucial than in these times of uncertainty, where mental health has been thrust to the forefront of many lives. You only need to read the news or engage in social media to hear of how many people, particularly youth, are struggling. Healthy connections are a protective factor for those times when we suffer trauma or adversity and are a characteristic of those who demonstrate high levels of resilience. Although our adolescents live in a digital world where building relationships may look very different to their parents’ generation, the need to connect has not diminished, just changed. Building connections and relationships across the College in a variety of ways has remained at the forefront of our pastoral program, which has adapted and developed to address the needs of our individual students. There has been a specific focus on building new connections and strengthening existing connections. Opportunities for students to engage have included sharing popcorn and a friendly smile for R U Ok Day, students organising Australia’s Greatest Morning Tea, embarking on Personal Challenges in Year 9, Year 11 students buddying up with Year 6 students, the Positivity Project where Year 8 students are working on making a positive difference for others at the College and the Year 10 Make a Difference project. As well as making connections, students are constructing an understanding of what it means to be part of a community. Building a sense of belonging and connecting with different Year levels during Vertical Tutor sessions has strengthened house spirit and forged some new rivalries. This rivalry has carried onto the sporting field with Netball and Touch inter-house competitions. House Chapels were introduced in Term Three with Father Jeff embedding the key values of the College and each House into his services, further emphasising the links between Body, Mind and Spirit and the importance of teams. In Term Four, Year 7 and 8 students will be given the opportunity to see the world through a different lens when they connect with Japanese email pals. Covid may have interrupted our International Program, but the value of the experience has not diminished, if anything it is even more important now. Year 8 students will use their Positivity Project learnings by being positive role models and giving the Japanese students the opportunity to practice their English. In the words of Mother Teresa, “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”

“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller.