41 minute read
Old Girls’ Association
CONNECTING WOMEN WORLDWIDE
What an outstanding edition of Evergreen Ties for Old Girls! I’m so proud to see so many Old Girl achievements celebrated across the magazine.
It is also so very special to see how many Old Girls continue to dedicate their time and expertise to the College, in the true spirit of ‘By Love Serve’. The Old Girls’ Association are proud to have been part of the huge success of Giving Day. The Association gave $150k in the form of scholarships over the next five years. As agreed at the Old Girls’ AGM, we are focussed on keeping financially vulnerable families at the school during these tough times. I encourage everyone to find a way to be involved and give back to the College, whether it be volunteering at an event, or donating to a worthwhile cause. From personal experience, I can tell you how very rewarding it is.
Over the following pages we’re celebrating some of the leading lights of St Cuthbert’s. Our annual Making Their Mark and Old Girls’ Honours ceremony recognise Old Girls who are doing remarkable things in their communities and careers. We were thrilled in Term 2 to acknowledge our three Making Their Mark winners for 2021, Raiha Buchanan, Amber Conley, and Ann Gluckman, our Marking Service recipient (Mary Fenton), and our Old Girls’ Honours awardee (Barbara Rae-Venter). You can read more about these extraordinary Old Girls on page 62.
Sadly many events were cancelled yet again this year, such as two of the much loved Club 50 events (with record numbers set to attend), regional reunions, and the much anticipated Gibbs Farm visit. Thank you to Vice President Simran Saseve-Dale who organised the Gibbs Farm event, now postponed to 2022. Prior to lockdown, we were fortunate to hold a fun-filled evening welcoming new mums to the College who are Old Girls, at my parents’ home. For photos please visit the Old Girls’ website.
We are looking forward to welcoming our newest members to the Old Girls’ Association at the Graduation Ball. These girls are a resilient and hard working group who have missed out on two College Balls and we sincerely hope that the Graduation Ball will be able to take place.
We hope events will resume without disruption from COVID-19 next year. In the meantime we are focussed on keeping the Old Girl community connected worldwide through phone calls, emails, the Old Girls’ website and working with our Old Girl representatives regionally and overseas. We are working on additional ways to generate income for the Old Girls’ Association, where events continue to assist, but are not core to our fundraising efforts.
This is the last time I’ll have the pleasure addressing you in Evergreen Ties as President of the Old Girls’ Association. Over the past two years, I have loved seeing how our Old Girl community has supported one another and become even closer during these times, when we could have so easily become more distant. The launch of our website has been a highlight for me, as was the St Cuthbert’s Together calling campaign where we saw so many Old Girls reach out and support one another. It has been wonderful to get to know, and work with, our Principal and Old Girl, Justine Mahon, for whom I have the greatest respect and admiration. My sincere thanks to the hard working and fun Old Girls’ Committee who are fully engaged in our quest to support and promote the Old Girls’ Association and St Cuthbert’s College.
It’s my absolute honour to introduce to you our new President Kirsten McKenzie (1992). Kirsten is currently a committee member and I know she will do a sensational job finding ways for us to connect and celebrate. You can read more about Kirsten’s recent Literary Evening on page 70. I have felt very honoured being your Old Girls’ Association President, and I look forward to supporting Kirsten in her role.
Wishing you all a safe and happy time at Christmas and over the holidays.
Kind regards
Georgina Gilbert-Robertson
— President, Old Girls’ Association
Making Their Mark Awards
The Making Their Mark Awards are held annually to celebrate our inspirational Old Girls. The Awards recognise Old Girls who are ‘making their mark’ in their chosen field, they have the courage to take on significant challenges and possess strong leadership qualities.
Amber Conley
Making Their Mark Award Recipient
Amber (1992) is a dedicated Registered Comprehensive Nurse, a role she has held for 25 years. As one of her nominators writes, “Not only is she accomplished in her field of pediatric oncology nursing, but she is also perpetually providing help, advice, and resources where she can, for the much broader universe of people and patients, and families affected by cancer.”
Amber’s nursing career began working in adult oncology, at what is now Auckland City Hospital, before transferring to paediatric oncology at Starship Children’s Hospital in 2000. In 2003, Amber moved to London and worked in the areas of paediatric haematology/oncology. Moving back to New Zealand later, she eventually took on the role of Nurse Unit Manager of the Starship Blood and Cancer Centre, managing a large multidisciplinary team, in addition to overseeing the operational management of the unit. Amber is also involved in many national and international paediatric oncology groups, committees, and societies.
Amber says, “In choosing this career, I have been blessed with a job in which no two days are ever the same and during which I have had the privilege of witnessing, walking alongside, and being involved in many, many triumphs over adversity. I have always and continue to be acutely aware of, the privilege I hold in being in a position to play a part in helping children and young people overcome cancer and go on to live successful, fulfilling lives. I meet fantastic people from all walks of life and get to share my passion for my chosen career by building, nurturing, and leading a team of nurses committed to providing not only the best clinical care, but also care that enables children, young people, and their whānau to negotiate their way through their unique cancer journey with empathy and compassion.
“In my current role as Nurse Unit Manager, I am able to utilise my specialist knowledge, skills, and expertise in paediatric oncology to develop nursing practice, direct service development, lead nursing research, and guide education and training. It’s a role I’ve combined with family life (marriage and two fantastic children), international travel, and lifelong friendships. I’m also incredibly lucky to be supported by a fantastic team of multi-disciplinary health professionals who inspire me every single day. Routinely, when I tell people what my job is, I am met with dismayed faces as there is a perception that it must be a heart-breaking field in which to be involved. My response is always along the same lines – although there are a lot of tears, there are absolutely many more moments of laughter, joy, and superb teamwork.”
Ann Gluckman
Making Their Mark Award Recipient
Ann Gluckman (Peer Year 1944) has lived a rich life, with writing and teaching playing featured parts. Ann has contributed significantly to New Zealand’s Jewish community, literary culture, and education. Ann says, “I was born in 1927, the year Charles Lindbergh made history by flying a single-engine plane, the Spirit of St Louis, across the Atlantic. This year, 2021, in my 95th year, it is possible to land rockets on Mars and receive back data from that planet.”
Ann (née Klippel) married at nineteen, went abroad, and had four children when she returned to university to finish her degree fifteen years later. This was very rare in 1960. When she graduated with her MSc, she received a call from St Cuthbert’s needing a parttime teacher for Senior Geography for the year. This started her teaching career at schools such as Western Springs College and Epsom Girls Grammar. Ann was the first woman in New Zealand to become principal of a state co-educational school. This was a role she held at Ngā Tapuwae College in Māngere for fifteen years.
We welcome your nominations for 2022.
Nominations close 29 April, 2022 – find out how to nominate a fellow Old Girl on our website old.girls.stcuthberts.school.nz
Ann was the recipient of an OBE in 1993 for services to education and the community. Ann’s love of education has extended in other ways – she has worked as a tour leader and authored tour guides, which involved traveling to many different parts of the world.
Looking more closely at our current environment, Ann says,
“Māori has been an official language, besides English and sign language, since 1987.”
Ann has contributed in many other ways to the community, such as being the foundation Jewish co-president (with Rev. Selwyn Dawson) of the Auckland Council for Christians and Jews.
And, in Ann’s inspiring way, she has also had a significant impact in the literary world. This includes writing for the ‘NZ Women’s Weekly’ and ‘The Auckland Star,’ a book entitled ‘Postcards from Tukums – A Family Detective Story,’ and just last year, Ann released her edited 460-page book about the Auckland Jewish community. This third volume of the series, ‘Identity and Involvement – Auckland Jewry, Past and Present,’ was co-edited by Ann, Deb Levy Friedler, and Lindy Davis.
Ann has shown through her remarkable life, a commitment to asking the ‘big questions’ while also practising ‘By Love Serve’ in all she does.
Raiha Buchanan
Making Their Mark Award Recipient
Raiha Buchanan (2002) is charting new territory in the area of fintech. Raiha is CEO and co-founder of the Swedish fintech company Gigapay, a salary payment infrastructure built for the gig and creator economy. Already operational in Finland and Sweden, they will scale to key European markets. Prior to Gigapay, Raiha held executive positions for some of Europe’s leading fintech companies, where she helped commercialise solutions to new geographies. Raiha is an excellent role model because of her considerable expertise in novel fintech development and also because of her commitment to encouraging women in the industry. With a passion for fintech, she started WIFTN, a non-profit network for women in this field.
For Raiha, attracting women to the industry and empowering them means an improvement in diversity. It is also through this diversity that we can see new perspectives and the associated changes in technology and the financial regulatory landscape. Raiha has won numerous awards, including the top 75 young female leaders in 2020 in Sweden, Finnovate Top 200 Women in Fintech 2020, and Inspiring Fifty Nordics 2019. As a Māori New Zealand woman, Raiha is proud of her heritage and hopes to inspire other women and minorities to create their own paths. Raiha’s supportive family has played an important part in her success. Raiha shares, “I come from a mixed-heritage background. My father is of Pākehā descent, and my mother is of Māori descent from Ngāti Porou and Ngāti Tūwharetoa. This has allowed me to look from the beginning from different perspectives. “Mana wāhine, reach for the stars, go for gold. Our best always, are things my mother would say to me and my sisters every morning before we’d go off to school.”
This ability to see things in novel ways has contributed to Raiha being at the cutting edge of new technologies in fintech.
Reflecting on her path, Raiha says,
“A few things that have been stalwarts for me as I’ve gone forward: “Having resilience and the ability to push forward even when things have been difficult.
“Setting myself high goals and high targets, even if they seem impossible – really continuing to work towards them. “Having a high-achieving mindset – really believing that I’m actually going to be able to achieve the things I set out to do.” Importantly, Raiha encourages taking the unexpected routes in life, “Don’t just take the road that is the most obvious and the most well-travelled. Set your own path. You only have one life, one opportunity to do what inspires you and can really inspire others. Don’t dream small – dream big and really try to achieve that. Surround yourself with mentors and people who inspire you. You’d be surprised by how much people actually want to help when you reach out.”
Marking Service Award
The Marking Service Award is inspired by the St Cuthbert’s College motto ‘By Love Serve’ and by a desire to celebrate alumnae who have taken the spirit of our motto into their life and work. There is one award presented each year.
Mary Fenton
Marking Service Award Recipient
It’s difficult to summarize Mary’s (1962) extensive volunteering activities, because hers is a lifetime of giving generously to the community. As her nominators write, “Mary Fenton is the absolute embodiment of St Cuthbert’s College motto ‘By Love Serve’. It would be fair to say that just about everyone knows Mary Fenton because of her wide involvement in the community, sport, and church in Auckland and Kerikeri.”
Mary says, “I have tried to take the spirit of ‘By Love Serve’ into my life and I do things for the greater good of the communities I have lived in. None of my service to the community has been world-shatteringly important, but maybe all the little parts make up the whole it is today.” Just some of Mary’s wide-ranging service over many years includes visiting prisoners, as well as making Christmas bouquets for them, being a Plunket Nurse and Lactation Consultant, dedicating time through umpiring, general management, nursing, and cooking for the Eden Epsom Tennis and Squash Club, St Lukes Hockey Club, and Cornwall Cricket Club, and now the Kerikeri Tennis Club, involvement in the New Zealand Girls Brigade, and helping in the administering of the community center attached to the Kerikeri Union Church. Mary is also a dedicated supporter of members of the Kerikeri community, helping with shopping, visiting, appointments, and meals. Mary is committed to the wellbeing of the family, both in her personal life, her working life, and in her volunteering. Although her children and grandchildren are overseas, she is a dedicated granny from a distance, reading bedtime stories via video link to her grandchildren in Brisbane and regularly catching up with her London-based grandsons. Mary acknowledges family as the cornerstone to her life. “My family always came first, before any work outside the home. I was lucky that I had a hard-working supportive husband, Bill – well, I still have him – 53 years later – and he enabled me to be an ‘at home’ mother except during the boys’ school hours. We now have two grown-up sons and four grandchildren.” When Mary was growing up, her family “were great community supporters and we grew up with an ethic of helping to make it a better place to live. They gave their time and energy freely always. Having a Down syndrome younger sister possibly set the grounds for me of helping and loving, and as a family, we raised a simply wonderful little person who in turn, contributed so much to everyone she met.” Mary acknowledges, “We all have the capacity to give in different ways, so there will always be something you can contribute. When you get the time, don’t forget there is plenty you can contribute to and volunteer to do. It will give you great satisfaction.”
Mary offers her insights for the College community.
“‘By Love Serve’
• Make the most of every day • Only do to others what you are happy that they do to you • Share your worries with someone • Help without being asked – go the extra mile • Be grateful for what you have – some have nothing • Take time for yourself – by yourself.”
Old Girls’ Honours
The Old Girls’ Honours have been awarded annually since 2003 to Old Girls who have made an outstanding contribution in their chosen field. The Honours Award is given to an Old Girl who has made an outstanding contribution, nationally or internationally, in any field, including (but not limited to) the arts, commerce, education, military, the professions, public service, research, science and technology, and sport.
Barbara Rae-Venter
Old Girls’ Honours Recipient
Barbara Rae-Venter (1966) is a retired intellectual property attorney who, since her retirement, has reinvented herself as an investigative genetic genealogist – a career that brings together cutting-edge technology and a deep understanding of science. Barbara has helped adopted people find biological family members, and also realised the application of the techniques to law enforcement. She helped solve several high-profile criminal cases, including the identity of three of the victims of the Bear Brook Murders in New Hampshire and the Golden State Killer in California.
Barbara has a BA in Psychology and Biochemistry from UCSD and a PhD in Biology, also from UCSD. She also received her JD from the University of Texas at Austin. She was a postdoctoral fellow at Roswell Park Memorial Institute in Buffalo, New York. She has worked as an academic at the University of Texas Medical Branch, and Stanford University. She was also employed as a patent to do that, is having great educational credentials.
“I started out my work life as a computer programmer, went back to school and became a breast cancer researcher and medical school assistant professor teaching biochemistry and endocrinology, went to law school and became a biotechnology patent attorney, retired and became an investigative genetic genealogist helping law enforcement solve violent crimes.
“Being in an all-girls’ school means that it is always okay to excel at maths and science. That is an amazing gift that I know I did not appreciate at the time. I would encourage any of you dreaming of becoming a scientist, a physician, even a genetic sleuth, to follow that dream and to be open to accepting the unexpected opportunities that come your way. “That is how I have ended up in a place I never expected to be all those years ago, when I stood in your shoes using my science background to help the FBI solve the identity of the notorious Golden State Killer.”
lawyer. She was recognised for her work in investigative genetic genealogy in 2018, appearing on Nature’s list of ‘10 People Who Mattered this Year in Science’. She was recognised in the 2019 Time 100 list of most influential people.
Barbara also contributes her skills in other ways. She volunteers as a ‘search angel’ for DNA Adoption, a non-profit that shows adoptees how to use DNA in their birth family search. She has also volunteered with the Monterey Family History Center. Barbara has become one of the most well-known figures in investigative genetic genealogy and law enforcement, and, after the Golden State Killer case, she has contributed to public discourse on the ethics of using shared community data for law enforcement purposes. Barbara offers some inspiring insights for the students of St Cuthbert’s.
“Take the hardest classes at every level because you never know when you may either need or want to pivot in a different direction. I know because I have reinvented myself several times over in my lifetime and what has allowed me
Scholarships give opportunities to rising stars
The Kathleen Goulding Scholarship provides a Year 9 girl with the opportunity to attend St Cuthbert’s each year.
The scholarship is awarded to an external student joining in Year 9 who demonstrates passion and all round ability. Awarded annually, the scholarship is for five years from Years 9 – 13.
Our 2021 recipient, Molly Cooper, is making the most of her time at St Cuthbert’s. She is a keen sportswoman and has relished her first few terms, including enjoying StCuth’s@home during lockdown.
She is also a focussed and determined student. Molly continues, “I’ve really enjoyed the supportive learning environment and the College’s impressive academic focus which can be challenging, but always pays off. I am so grateful for being immersed in the rich culture of the College and am looking forward to making the most of all the opportunities to come.” Excited is an understatement for how our 2022 recipient, Ruby King, is feeling about starting in Year 9 at St Cuthbert’s next year. She has her uniform ready to go.
Ruby is looking forward to joining a school where the students love learning, like she does. She feels the values of St Cuthbert’s align well with her own.
“I’m really excited to be joining the St Cuthbert’s community next year. I love learning and trying new things, and I can’t wait to make the most of all the opportunities St Cuthbert’s has to offer,” says Ruby.
Molly and Ruby, it is wonderful to see the Kathleen Goulding Scholarship awarded to such lovely students and we are so happy to have you as part of our College community.
Molly Cooper
Violet Wood Advanced Studies Grant 2022
The Violet Wood Advanced Studies Grant 2022 grant is a wonderful opportunity to support your professional development. It is available to Old Girls in postgraduate study in any field including academic, music, sport, or art.
The $5,000 grant is intended to help with costs and enable you to further your education through postgraduate study. It can be used to cover general or specific costs, such as paying for course fees, purchasing equipment, and travel costs.
Previous recipient Olivia Jennison says, “It was a real privilege to be awarded this grant and to reconnect with the College. This grant has been incredibly supportive in my doctoral studies, as although the pathway to becoming a clinical psychologist is rewarding, it is also lengthy and unfunded.
Undoubtedly, COVID-19 has changed the way we work and support our communities, where everything from family dinners to business meetings happen over videoconferencing. As a result, my doctoral research into a psychological video conferencing programme is even more pertinent due to COVID-19 bringing restrictions on face-to-face contact and the pandemic’s impact on people emotionally and financially.”
The application form is available at our website: oldgirls.stcuthberts.school.nz/
violet-wood-grant/
Please email your completed application form to: alumnae@stcuthberts.school.nz Or mail to:
St Cuthbert’s Old Girls Association PO Box 26 020 Epsom Auckland 1344
For any questions, contact the alumnae office on (09) 520-4159 ext. 7607
Applications must be received no later than 31 January 2022. Special conditions apply. LimitedEditionStCuthbert’sJewellery
Shoponline:www.orsini.co.nz/st-cuthberts
Visit our Old Girls’ Website!
The Old Girls’ website is your place to connect with the wider Old Girls’ community.
Submit your profile, connect with other Old Girls, see what events are coming up and how you can get involved. How do you visit the website? 1. Open your internet browser on your phone, laptop or tablet - either Google
Chrome, Safari or Firefox. 2.In the search bar at the top, type in the following link:
oldgirls.stcuthberts.school.nz
3.Have a look around the website and connect with old friends.
The Gifts of Nature
Being immersed in the natural environment is so good for our wellbeing. Seeing the green sprouts or the steadfast evergreens reminds us of the enduring beauty of nature.
Old Girl Liz Morrow (1964) is surrounded by the revitalising energy of her garden, Omaio. Liz talks about how this paradise came to be in her life. “The property was purchased in 1980 for our holiday retreat – it is 18 acres (7.28 hectares) on the Takatu Peninsula. We named it Omaio – a place of peace, quiet, and tranquillity. We built a log cabin on the water’s edge the same year after spending months clearing the cabin site of kānuka and mānuka. Prior to purchase, sheep and cattle roamed the property. I moved in December 2005 to live permanently and in January 2006, commenced the garden layout. This took seven months until planting started in July.”
The environment at Omaio is one of abundance, with a log cabin surrounded by ancient New Zealand trees. Liz says that a pūriri on the front lawn is estimated to be 1,500 years old, and there are kauri trees aged 1,000 years. Liz shares, “My vision was to embrace the surroundings and not compete, so it was important to select plants and shrubs that married well with the existing surroundings and allow the landscape to dominate.
A variety of native plants with appropriate exotics were selected to provide a harmonious blend. I wanted to create a garden that was easy on the eye, with a soft palette of colour and one that connected and flowed easily, blending in seamlessly with the existing native vegetation.”
When asked what her favourite plants are, Liz acknowledges that it is difficult question. “I have many favourites but let me name just a few – bergenia, hydrangeas, hellebores, ferns, ligularia.”
Liz says, “I have no formal horticultural training – rather a life of immersion in nature! I’ve been associated with and worked in horticultural events, projects and the industry, most of my life and in 2010, was made a Fellow of the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture for my services to horticulture.”
The roots of Liz’s love of the outdoors go back to her childhood. Liz says, “I grew up on the farm ‘Koropupu’ in the King Country – we were the DIY family growing all our fruit and vegetables. My hard-working parents created a wonderful garden. I milked the house cow from a young age, cooked for the shearers, and was surrounded by nature. I developed a deep appreciation of trees, plants, and the landscape from a young age, competing annually at the local shows with my floral and sand arrangements. Special memories. I was blessed with an unforgettable childhood.”
As a Boarder at St Cuthbert’s, starting in 1960, Liz’s connections to both nature and ‘By Love Serve’ flourished. “The students I met there have become my lifelong friends whom I treasure,” Liz shares. “Old Girl Judy Laity (née Wells) and I were responsible for many years in upgrading the grounds and gardens around the College in the 1980s and 1990s. ‘By Love Serve’ is a powerful motto and never more so than in these uncertain times that we all face. To me it spells connection, joy, trust, embrace, respect, honour, kindness – words to value, to hold dear.”
Liz lives ‘By Love Serve’ in different ways, including opening Omaio up to the public by appointment, and hosting fundraising events for NZ House & Garden Tours, raising funds for the Breast Cancer Foundation NZ, and Omaio has been open to raise funds for the Warkworth Hospice. Workshops have also been held at this magical property. Omaio is also a place to bring the family together. Liz says, “My son John lives in Auckland and is incredibly supportive. In 2007, he started developing the trails through the surrounding bush and visits often to help with a variety of tasks. His help is invaluable.
“Daughter Jane (also an Old Girl) lives in Wānaka and has an interest in New Zealand’s native bush and rongoā, the traditional Māori medicinal use of plants. Wanting to learn more of the unique properties of New Zealand herbs, she completed an herbal course to learn more of the nutritional and healing potential that our native trees and local wild edible plants have to offer and how to identify, harvest and incorporate them into our daily life – more as food, nourishment, and medicine as well as learning how to make herbal remedies.”
Omaio has been recognised by the New Zealand Gardens Trust, which awarded it the status of a Garden of International Significance. As a six-star garden, Omaio provides a “top garden experience – a complete package, which inspires garden lovers and delivers an experience above all other gardens.”
When asked if she has any advice for members of the St Cuthbert’s community wanting to get into gardening, Liz affirms, “Gardening can be life changing. What better than to grow your very own fruit, herbs, flowers and vegetables and engage with nature and its wonders. A small space, the size of a wine barrel even, can be a productive space. The advantages and rewards of gardening are immense.” Gardening is therapeutic, it is healing and rewarding.”
An Evening Celebrating Old Girl Authors
On a winter’s night in June, book lovers came together to hear the stories of Old Girl authors Julie Thomas, Kirsten McKenzie, Caroline Barron, Rose Carlyle, Renee Liang, and Cybella Maffitt.
The event also recognised this year’s Making Their Mark awardee Ann Gluckman, whose many achievements were noted by Juliet Moses (2020 Marking Their Mark recipient) in a moving tribute. Ann has done considerable work for the Jewish, literary, and education communities. Current student Zara Bennett read her wonderful poem, demonstrating a rising talent.
As a fundraiser for Old Girls’ Association scholarships, the event was an opportunity to nurture future talent.
St Cuthbert’s warmly acknowledges the generous support of all authors involved and Old Girls’ Association Committee member and future OGA president Kirsten McKenzie for her impressive work and dedication in producing the event. A huge success, 2022 will see the return of this standout evening.
Old Girls’ Association Bridge Day
This year’s longstanding Bridge Day was an exciting event, with Old Girls and friends from the community gathering at the Auckland Bridge Club for a day of bridge and Mahjong.
The raffle, always an exciting part of the day, included many prizes generously donated by the Old Girls’ Association and the community. Principal Justine Mahon and Old Girls’ Association President Georgina Gilbert-Robertson gave an update on the College and OGA activities. The day could not have happened without the incredible organisation of Kim Williams and members of the OGA Committee.
All money raised goes towards the two scholarships that the Old Girls’ Association fund, so that the gift of a St Cuthbert’s education can be given to girls who would otherwise not be able to afford to attend.
2022 Old Girls’ Events
COVID-19 may be causing ongoing event disruptions, however, in the true spirit of St Cuthbert’s we won’t let this affect us, finding ways for our Old Girls to connect and celebrate in 2022.
For more information on upcoming events in your area please visit our website:
oldgirls.stcuthberts.school.nz
Local contacts
BAY OF PLENTY
Contact: Dearwyn Caulfield Phone: 0274 935 037 Email: pdcaulfield@xtra.co.nz
BRISBANE
Contact: Trish Cotterell Email: trish07.cotterell@gmail.com
CHINA (BEIJING)
Contact: Jennifer Ma Email: jenniferjinma@littleoasis.cn
DALLAS
Contact: Clair Robinson (Menzies) Email: clairmenzies@gmail.com
LONDON
Contact: Kate Turner Phone: 44 78374 57882 Email: katemacsween1@gmail.com
LOS ANGELES
Contact: Amanda Wong Phone: 1 310 963 3302 Email: kiwi_esq@hotmail.com
NEW YORK
Contact: Ashleigh Hunt Email: ahunt@cgr-law.com
PERTH
Contact: Marg Shorter (Hartnell) Phone: 08 9388 2221 Email: margshorter@westnet.com.au
SYDNEY
Contact: Amy Zhang Phone: (61) 450 905 264 Email: amyzhang35@gmail.com
TONGA
Contact: Ana Tupou Panuve Phone: (61) 450 905 264 Email: ana.tupou@panuve.com
TARANAKI
Contact: Elizabeth Utting (Gray) Phone: 06 927 4909
Email:
Johnandelizabeth.50@gmail.com
WAIKATO
Contact: Catharine Stuart (Murray) Phone: 07 827 1766 Email: bandcstuart@gmail.com
Old Girls interested in becoming Local Coordinators in other cities and countries please contact:
alumnae@stcuthberts.school.nz
An Enduring St Cuthbert’s Family Connection
Old Girl Josephine Stonyer (2012) shares the special St Cuthbert’s connection with her grandmother, Audrey Ward (née Trenwith, 1947). Audrey sadly passed this year, but her lively personality and love for St Cuthbert’s mean important family memories continue for granddaughter Josephine.
I still remember the sheer delight on her face and sparkle in her eyes when I told my grandmother, Audrey Ward, that I was starting at St Cuthbert’s. She was a Boarder at St Cuthbert’s in the 1940s and a proud member of Elgin house. It was a place she treasured so dearly and her pride in Black Watch tartan was second to none!
The values, perspectives, and understanding Granny gained at St Cuthbert’s remained with her and underpinned how she lived her life. She would often quote the College motto ‘By Love Serve’, and say how influential this was on her pursuing her career in nursing. This paralleled my own experience and motivations for undertaking study at medical school. We regularly shared memories of our experiences in the healthcare system, and cherished the unique privilege of journeying with, and caring for, patients. I would often call her when walking home from hospital in the evenings to tell her of my day. She retained her keen interest in the profession and having been a theatre nurse, she especially loved the stories of surgery, new techniques, and novel approaches.
The self-confidence, tenacity, and independence she gained from St Cuthbert’s was also evident throughout her life. Initially when starting nursing, she had to negotiate with the nursing board for several years before being allowed to train as a nurse, due to her own health issues. She was eventually granted a trial period during which she determinedly surpassed expectations and went on to become a very well respected and capable theatre nurse, working with some of the top surgeons our country has seen. She continued to live true to the St Cuthbert’s values, advocating for improved treatment of the nursing profession by other staff and safer working conditions throughout her career. One of her cheekiest memories of this that she loved to recall, was of her and the other nurses tying the shoelaces together under the operating table of one of the surgeons who was renowned for poor treatment of nurses. Somehow, they got away with it too.
While such self-confidence, tenacity, and independence are increasingly common to see among women in society in today’s times, it was quite a profound and unique environment to have a few decades ago when Granny was at school. Granny also recognised this, always citing the immense privilege it was to have had the opportunity to attend St Cuthbert’s, receive the education and opportunities it provided. She acknowledged how it set her on her life’s trajectory. This tenet has continued strongly for St Cuthbert’s throughout the decades and personally, it was also one of my greatest areas of growth throughout my own time at the College.
Above all, Granny cherished the friendships, community and sense of family she had at St Cuthbert’s. I would always receive an excited call a few days after the College magazine arrived in the mail, knowing she had spent the past few evenings with a gin in hand, reading it cover to cover. We would discuss the goings-on at the College and reminisce about our own experiences. She was always curious to hear what day-to-day life entailed, changes to the uniform, and compare which buildings were still standing from her own time at the College. She recalled fond memories of boarding, her ‘home away from home’, and the family she had there. Of course, she devised plenty of mischief in her time in the boarding house, like finding ways to sneak in treats of food or be excused from prep time.
Her sense of belonging at the College had not wavered many years since leaving. She attended reunions well into her later years until she could no longer travel to Tauranga for these, and in lockdown last year, Granny received a call from the College as part of the St Cuth’s Together calling campaign. She was overwhelmed by this care and thoughtfulness extended by the College and nattered away with the caller like old friends. She shared her joy of this call with nearly the whole of Whakatane!
In our conversations about St Cuthbert’s, I was always struck by the history and tradition of the College. Knowing you are walking through the same corridors and buildings, reciting the same school verse, ringing the same Bews bell, learning the same principles, and wearing Black Watch tartan as the many generations before you, truly makes you feel as though you are standing on the shoulders of the many wonderful women, Granny included, who have gone before you and paved the way.
For Granny and me, the bond of Black Watch tartan created something truly unique between us. What I loved most about her was how special she made you feel. She cared for, loved, and treasured those around her. She drew people in and knew how to build a community. She valued people and recognised that life needed to be shared with those around you. Granny lived the values of St Cuthbert’s well beyond the gates and her time at the College.
Family Notices
In memorial
We fondly remember, Maire Dempster-Rivett (née Berg) 1941 Barbara Jones (née Smeeton) 1942 Robyn Madden (née Porter) 1969 Audrey Ward (née Trenwith) 1947
Finding your “heart job”
We were visited by St Cuthbert’s Old Girl, Kristy Atkinson, who has established an essential oils company, Savvy Oilers, after she became hooked on their beneficial properties. We only wish we could provide this article with a ‘scratch and sniff’ panel as, if you were to smell them, you’d be instantly hooked too!
Kristy (née Edwards) graduated St Cuthbert’s in 1999. She went on to study engineering at university but her career took another road when she discovered the healing power of essential oils. Kristy said she enjoyed studying engineering but quickly realised it wasn’t her “heart job” and wouldn’t fit well with raising her young family of three boys.
“Essential oils are what I do as my hobby and passion; I simply love seeing the difference it can make in people’s lives. I began very simply with a small starter set and now have over 150 oils and blends at home; my husband has been very gracious as it’s all set up in our kitchen!”
It was shortly after Kristy’s third child was born that she became a true advocate for essential oils. The support they provided for respiratory issues for her children was mind-blowing, and she was soon helping many friends and their children in similar situations. Kristy says that’s when she felt her “eyes had been opened” to the alternatives out there and that, for her, oils are a part of the whole spectrum of wellness, adding “of course, if we need to, we still go to the doctor”. Kristy realises that using essential oils and chemical free products can support a healthy lifestyle, including providing emotional support.
Reflecting on her St Cuthbert’s education she says “My time at St Cuthbert’s instilled in me the confidence and courage to pursue my interests. Life is a journey of continual learning, and whether it be engineering, telecommunications, or now wellness that I have applied myself to, the confidence and communication skills I developed have led me to share what I have learned with others.”
News of Old Girls
Amy Cryer (2007)
Not all superheroes wear capes
After leaving school, Amy chose to study nursing at the University of Auckland, as it combined her love for science and biology with a very handson patient care role that could provide her with many different career pathways.
Amy completed her nursing degree in 2010 and began a graduate nursing role as a registered nurse in the Emergency Department at Middlemore Hospital, a very busy and varied role, where Amy says she had a huge opportunity to learn in a supportive environment. Amy stayed within the department until choosing to begin her overseas experience in 2014.
During her overseas travels, Amy based herself in London. When she wasn’t nursing in a hospital setting, she cared for complex spinal patients (who often required breathing support from a ventilator), in their own home.
Following on from Amy’s overseas experience, she chose to pursue her interests in medical research, and was involved in a variety of clinical trials with different specialists throughout the hospital, working on developing new medications for Hepatitis B and Type 2 Diabetes. Amy elaborates,
“This was a wonderful experience that encouraged progressive thinking and innovation, while allowing me the opportunity to travel to several different overseas cities to attend international meetings.
“Although I found this role very progressive, I found I was missing nursing patients in an acute setting, so I applied for and was offered a role in the ICU at Middlemore Hospital. Throughout this role, I cared for a wide range of patients, including serious spinal and burn patients, as well as working in ICU following the Christchurch mosque attack and White Island eruption.
“More recently, I have taken a slight step back from the hectic environment of the ICU and I’m working in a postanaesthetic unit in a private hospital in Auckland, a role that varies from public hospital nursing, but still offers me with challenges and learning opportunities, not to mention a wonderful work-life balance.”
Emily-Jade Yee (2017)
Inspiring other women engineers
Emily is currently in her Honours year of her Biomedical Engineering degree at the University of Auckland. Emily shares,
“Since leaving St Cuthbert’s, I have come to face the reality that not everyone is given the same opportunity and support that I did through my educational journey, and as a result, I am currently focusing a lot of my efforts into the Women in Engineering Network at university.
“In particular, my focus is on outreach to schools around New Zealand to encourage younger girls into the field of STEM. I have also been very honoured to receive the University of Auckland Kupe Leadership Scholarship, sponsored by the John Turnbull Estate, which has provided me many opportunities, including assigning me my mentor, Dr Michelle Dickinson.”
Je t’aime Hayr (1996)
Explaining ‘big feelings’ through books
Je t’aime runs a copywriting business called Run Rabbit, but after becoming a mother to her twin boys, she became inspired to write children’s books.
She is in the process of publishing her first book, ‘The Little Tiger with the Big Temper’, which introduces simple mindfulness and meditation techniques and allows the child and adult reader to practise along with the characters.
The book also aims to support parents, teachers and caregivers by demonstrating a ‘conscious communication’ and neuroscienceapproved approach to responding to a child’s ‘big feelings’ in a way that fosters a child’s secure attachment and improves emotional literacy.
Jenny Fraser (1964)
Talented haiku poet and artist
Influenced by the enthusiasm and love for poetry from her St Cuthbert’s English teacher, Mrs Hollingsworth, Jenny began to write in the Paris street cafés while studying French.
In 2010 she was introduced to haiku (haiku is a type of short form poetry, originally from Japan). Since then, she’s had haiku accepted in international journals, including top placings in international competitions. This year, she received the prestigious honour of being selected for ‘A New Resonance 12: Emerging Voices in English-Language Haiku’, a book of haiku featuring 17 of the world’s top emerging haiku poets, published every second year.
Jenny also built Riverweaver, a cottage industry employing up to eight contract handweavers – craftswomen working from their homes. Riverweaver was an exhibitor in the inaugural L’Oréal Paris New Zealand Fashion Week in Auckland in October 2001. The Waikato Art Museum has six pieces of Riverweaver in its Permanent Collection.
Dr Simone Watkins (2005)
Lifechanging medical work
Dr Simone Watkins is a thirty-three-year-old Afakasi Samoan who graduated St Cuthbert’s in the 2005 class. She then went on to complete her medical training at the University of Auckland on a ViceChancellor’s scholarship.
Dr Watkins graduated from her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery with distinction in 2011 and began training in paediatrics in 2013. This year she is taking a step away from her clinical work to pursue a PhD titled: ‘Why Do Outcomes of Critical Congenital Heart Disease in New Zealand Differ by Ethnicity?’
Dr Watkins has two sons and currently resides in central Auckland. She also has a forthcoming book chapter alongside twenty medical women from around the world, which tells her story with the hope of inspiring other women into medicine.
Do you have news to share?
Send your news to alumnae@stcuthberts.school.nz. We love featuring the stories of Old Girls, snapshots of overseas adventures, notable achievements, additions to your family, reminiscences of school and more! Go online to the Old Girls’ Association website to submit your profile. We love hearing all news. oldgirls.stcuthberts.school.nz/ submit-your-profile/
A Touch of Sweetness
Events are a wonderful time to catch up with friends and visit the school.
Due to another unexpected interruption because of the pandemic, some regular events needed to be postponed earlier in 2021. The Old Girls’ Association let attendees of Old Girls’ events know they were missed through a special surprise sweet treat.
Recipients were thrilled, with warm messages saying the gesture was a reminder that we are there for one another in these times.
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