The Pymble Mentor Group

Pymble Mentor Group and 2024 Alumni Networking Event

Watch us change the world, together

Dear Pymble family, and friends and supporters of Pymble Ladies’ College.

Thank you for taking the time to consider our request for your support of a group of very special young women who we hold dear to our hearts, our compassionate and influential Pymble alumni.

Many of you will know about our Watch Us Change the World Strategic Direction, which aims to build our students’ Academic, Digital, Social and Emotional Intelligence and equip them with the hearts, minds, knowledge and skill sets to make a genuine difference in the world. For those who aren’t so familiar with it, you can read an overview here

One of the many things we love about Watch Us Change the World is that it invites all in our community – students and their families, our ex-students and their families, along with friends and supporters of Pymble – to be changemakers. It unites us in a common goal to secure the foundations that create a world that

is inclusive, equitable and just for all. This includes the workplace for our graduates. Our vision is for an equitable working culture where women can pursue any career they desire, without barriers, and receive the same opportunities for promotion, professional support and remuneration as their male equivalents, so they can go on and do what they were educated to do – make the world a better place for all.

Professional support is where you come in. As an experienced leader in your field or industry, you have the capacity to make a difference to our alumni who aspire to make their way in your professional world, by becoming a member of our Pymble Mentor Group

We have an ambitious goal of recruiting at least 150 Pymble Mentors prior to hosting our next annual Meet your Mentors event for our alumni, scheduled for May 2024. We’d love you to be one of these wonderful people. You will be in great company, joined by XXXX, XXXX and XXXX, members of our Pymble family who have generously agreed to

support this mentor/mentee program and play a key role in our May 2024 event.

This document contains a few more answers to questions you may have, a sign-up sheet for those who are interested in joining our Pymble Mentor Group, and our heartfelt thanks to those who have already committed to this cause.

Thank you for considering how you can give back to others by supporting our Pymble graduates through career journeys. Your support will help change the world for the amazing young women who, not so long ago, were our amazing Pymble girls.

DR KATE HADWEN MR JAMES HUNTER PRINCIPAL CHAIR OF THE BOARD

As an experienced leader in your field or industry, you have the capacity to make a difference to our alumni who aspire to make their way in your professional world

Thank you for making 2023 our best event yet!

Purpose and possibility came together to create a wonderful evening at Pymble’s third annual Alumni Networking Event at KPMG Barangaroo. This event is designed to support our younger Pymble alumni as they navigate study and begin their careers after their time at Pymble.

The energy in the room was palpable as nearly 300 mentees and mentors gathered to guide, discover, connect and learn from each other and form professional connections from within the Pymble community.

Attended by our Chair of the Board, Mr James Hunter, Principal Dr Kate Hadwen, members of the College Senior Executive team and the ESU Committee, the event included an inspiring panel of guest speakers:

• Evie Murdoch (2012) - Associate Director, KPMG

• Hester Leung (1993) - Chief Operating Officer, My Specialised Accommodation Solutions

• Melanie Kurzydlo (née Cowlishaw, 2001) - Executive Manager for Project Management, APP Corporation

• Fiona Walmsley (née McCreedie, 1996) - General Manager Sustainability, Virgin Australia

• Cristina Carter (2012) - Senior Manager Partnerships, Westpac

Thank you to our Pymble alumni and community members who generously shared their invaluable knowledge, wisdom and advice as they discussed their own career experiences, successes and learnings. Thank you also to our Pymble mentors who took the time to meet with our alumni, demonstrating the value of professional networking, first-hand.

We look forward to welcoming you all to the even bigger and better May 2024 event.

“I really value these opportunities to connect with others. Bringing the Pymble alumni community together helps foster those important connections.”

“The highlight was meeting people who would like a similar pathway and being able to give advice.”

Introducing the Pymble Mentor Group

Following the success of our mentoring events and many conversations and requests from our alumni, we are excited to launch the Pymble Mentor Group, a mentoring program for Pymble alumni to seek professional support from within the Pymble community.

Our goal is to establish a group of 150 professionals.

We are committed to providing our alumni with access to mentors from a diverse range of industries and professions. For this reason, we are opening our Mentor Group beyond our immediate Pymble families to experienced professionals known and trusted by our community.

If you, or someone you know and respect, are interested in supporting women in the workplace by attending our 2024 Alumni Networking Event as a mentor to a Pymble graduate studying, working or aspiring to work in a similar or related field or profession to yours, please Please contact our Alumni Relations Manager at pymconnect@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au or by calling +61 2 9497 7840

A mentor is a compass of success

WHAT IS A MENTOR?

A mentor is defined by the Macquarie Dictionary as a ‘a wise and trusted counsellor’. A mentor is someone with more experience, often older, who helps and guides another individual’s career development.

Mentoring can continue at many different stages of a person’s career. To mentor is to pass on knowledge gained over a lifetime and also share wisdom from past mistakes, providing guidance for future decisions, and a person may have many different mentors throughout their career.

WHAT IS REQUIRED OF A PYMBLE MENTOR?

The most important requirement is a willingness to attend our Annual Alumni Networking Event held in May 2024 at KPMG Barangaroo, and be available for for mentorship should you forge a connection with a potential mentee at this event.

The evening will be structured, and all mentors will be briefed on on their role prior to the event.

If you are available to start a mentor partnership prior to next year, we invite you to sign up for PymConnect, our online mentoring platform. Please contact our Alumni Relations Manager at pymconnect@pymblelc. nsw.edu.au or by calling +61 2 9497 7840.

If you decide to enter into a more formal, ongoing mentoring partnership with a Pymble alumni, the details of this can be arranged by the two of you.

PYMBLE MENTOR NAME BADGE

As a token of our appreciation for your time given as a Pymble Mentor, we will gift you an official Pymble Mentor badge that can be worn at all Pymble functions, including the Alumni Networking Event.

“Tell me, and I forget. Teach me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I learn.”

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

A mentee’s perspective

Stefanie Lee (2013) discusses her experience as a mentee and how the relationships she has built mentor and fellow alumni have helped shape her career path and postgraduate studies. Stefanie is Infrastructure/Real Estate Associate at Platinum Partners.

A mentor’s perspective

Pymble Mentor and alumni Melanie Kurzydlo (née Cowlishaw, 2001) explains the value of mentoring for women in traditionally male-dominated industries and how a Pymble education is for life. Melanie is the Executive Manager – Project Management at The APP Group and a nonexecutive director for GWS Giants (Foundation) and UNSW Foundation.

The value of mentorship

A FORCE FOR CHANGE

There is tremendous value in supporting and helping advance someone else’s growth and development. Mentoring helps cultivate the next generation of leaders and mentors and is an effective way to model strategic, effectual and ethical conduct.

PERSONAL FULFILMENT

Helping others can, by its very nature, bring personal satisfaction. Effective mentors are held in high regard and can take pride in knowing they have positively influenced others and helped develop future leaders and policy makers.

DEMONSTRATE LEADERSHIP SKILLS

Mentoring allows leaders to ‘walk the walk’ and show mentees what leadership and executive decision making looks like in action. In reflecting on personal experiences to provide better guidance, mentors can reinforce previously learned leadership skills.

NEW PERSPECTIVES

It’s not just about age and seniority, it’s also about a mixture of backgrounds and experiences to improve the diversity of representation in leadership. It is an opportunity to bring diverse perspectives into conversations where they may be lacking.

WHAT’S NEXT?

If you are interested in joining the Pymble Mentor Group please register your interest by emailing pymconnect@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au. The College will then be in contact to discuss how you would like to be involved. Feel free to share this opportunity with other Pymble community members who you think might be interested in mentoring our alumni.

Save the date for 2024

THURSDAY 16 MAY 2024

6.00PM TO 8.30PM AT KPMG

Level 38, Tower 3, International Towers Sydney, 300 Barangaroo Ave, Barangaroo

5.45pm Mentor briefing and room allocation

6.00pm Drinks and canapés in foyer

6.20pm Panel discussion and Q&A session

7.00pm Mentoring sessions

8.30pm Conclusion

We look forward to another wonderful evening!