COVID-fighting Old Collegians

Three Old Collegians on the frontline of the fight against COVID-19 shared their experiences and thoughts about the pandemic with guests at PLC Perth’s 2021 International Women’s Day Breakfast.

Kate Langdon (1982), Maryellen Yencken (1982) and Erika Correia (1990) told fellow Old Collegians, current students, parents and staff that while the medical fraternity had been preparing for such an event, many lessons had been learnt from the outbreak. This included the need for all people to be more aware of their role in preventing the spread of disease.

Dr Langdon is a paediatrician and specialist in paediatric rehabilitation medicine at Perth Children’s Hospital. She and Dr Yencken, a general practitioner and principal partner of her practice, were among seven Class of 1982 PLC students to graduate from medicine at The University of Western Australia in 1988. The group were featured on a page one photograph in the West Australian at the time (see photo bottom right). Ms Correira is a nurse and currently part of Perth Children’s Hospital COVID Nursing Network.

The trio told the breakfast audience that they believed the pandemic’s impact on people’s mental health would be a long-term issue that society would need to address as it recovered from the crisis.

This year, the breakfast coincided with PLC’s annual Make a Difference (MAD) Week and Head Prefect Monet Edwards used the opportunity to ask Ms Correira about her work with the charity, Share the Dignity.

In addition to being a Community Service Year Co-ordinator while at PLC, Ms Correira also pointed to her Cambodia service tour while at school as a key factor in her life which has led her to work with people living in extreme poverty.

“It is easy for us all to become consumed with our own troubles and concerns, but it is when we are exposed to those living in abject poverty, and without means to help themselves or their families, that we can truly appreciate the opportunities life has to offer us in our wonderful country,” Ms Correira said.

Share the Dignity works to make a real difference to the lives of people experiencing homelessness, fleeing domestic violence or doing it tough by distributing period products to those in need. The organisation believes that when someone is doing it tough, the last thing they should be concerned about is their period.

To support the cause, PLC hosted a dignity drive encouraging students and staff to contribute period products to the charity.

Kate Langdon (1982); Erika Correia (1990) and Maryellen Yencken (1982).