6 minute read
Staying in touch with our alumni
HOLLY ANDREE (CLASS OF 2017)
Since hanging up her green blazer for the last time in 2017, former Head Prefect Holly Andrée has been busy juggling the demands of full-time study with work and other commitments, but she still makes time to get outdoors and explore the natural wonders of her home state.
What are you currently studying and at which university/education institution? I’ve just stepped into my third year of a Bachelor of Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies, majoring in Human Geography at the University of Tasmania.
Once I complete this degree, I intend to stay at the university for another two years to complete my master’s in planning. Why did you choose this pathway? I’ve always had an inherent passion for our natural world, which was definitely nurtured at St Mary’s College, hence why I initially decided on this path of study. Through the various classes I have studied thus far at university, my passion has broadened to encompass the people and systems that influence our world, with a specific focus on how we can change certain systems to contribute to a more equitable society. What do you hope to achieve (professionally and/or personally) in the future? Once completing my master’s, I intend to (hopefully) work as an urban/town planner specialising in greenspaces and creating sustainable urban and peri-urban liveability. I had wished to maximise this job by travelling around the world, which would fulfil a personal passion to experience as many places and cultures as possible. But that perhaps is something I may have to reconsider due to the current global circumstances.
At the moment, my hope for the future is simply to stay as healthy as possible, both physically and mentally, by encouraging more time for my hobbies such as bushwalking/hiking, reading and gardening to name a few. What did you most enjoy about St Mary’s College? St Mary’s College is genuinely unlike any other school when it comes to school spirit and I think that’s what I enjoyed the most throughout my time there. Funnily enough, there aren’t that many opportunities to dress up in blue, jump in a pool and play games for a full day in my life at the moment! For this reason, I’d encourage all students to maximise these opportunities, as they’re ones that can’t often be repeated in adult life. What did you gain from being a Prefect, and how did this role shape who you are today? Being a Prefect definitely helped me discover a sense of leadership and responsibility. These are two traits that have contributed to my personal growth today at both university and in my current workplace. They also contributed to a greater self-confidence and helped me push myself to do things that I’d never thought were possible, such as living overseas by myself for a full year. These traits were further fostered by the general St Mary’s College environment and all of my peers and teachers.
What is your advice for a current Year 12 student? If I were to have my time again as a Year 12 student and Prefect, I would definitely make sure to not forget about the small things that make the St Mary’s community so unique. Spending a free period visiting some of the Junior School classes, or attending the after school cocurriculars to cheer on some of our brilliant academic and sporting teams are just some examples of the small acts that really bring the St Mary's community together. These can work equally as great stress busters!
Staying in touch with OUR ALUMNI
JACLYN THURLEY (CLASS OF 2006)
Jaclyn Thurley is the founder and principal of The Pelvic Studio, a Hobart-based physiotherapy practice with expertise in pelvic health for both men and women.
Tell us about your role. What does it involve? I am a physiotherapist that has specific expertise in pelvic health. We refer to ourselves as ‘pelvic physiotherapists’. A pelvic physio is someone with specific training and expertise in treating conditions in and around the pelvis. In simple terms, we treat anything below the waist and above the thighs. Think things like lower back/pelvic girdle/ hip pain, abdominal rehabilitation, and anything to do with the pelvic floor, such as bladder and bowel issues.
I recently moved back down from Sydney and founded The Pelvic Studio, a physiotherapy practice in Hobart. The Pelvic Studio offers specific expertise on male and female pelvic health issues. Our clientele mainly consists of pregnant and postnatal women, males and females with pelvic pain (such as endometriosis), and men before and after prostate surgery. How did you get started as a physiotherapist? What led you to establish your own practice? When I was in Year 10 at St Mary's College, I decided to be an AFL physio. I had a dream to be one of those physios running out on the football ground, tending to players' injuries. To get into physiotherapy you had to have a TCE score of more than 96 points. So, I put my head down, tail up for Years 10, 11 and 12 and studied hard! I was accepted into Melbourne's La Trobe University and decided not to have a gap year and instead, go straight from Year 12 into a physiotherapy undergraduate degree. When I was in my fourth year of university, I selected women’s pelvic floor health as an elective subject and just loved it! I threw the idea of being an AFL physio out the window and set my sights on becoming a pelvic physio. I had a lot of ideas on the type of service I wanted to provide, and my dream was to always have my own physio practice. In 2020, I made my dreams come true and opened a practice in Salamanca, Battery Point. What does a typical day at work look like for you? Usually back-toback patient appointments for about eight hours, which means very little time for loo breaks (so I must have a great pelvic floor!). Although I work hard and am often a little tired by the end of the week, I wouldn't change what I do for anything. I love helping the Hobart community improve their pelvic health and ultimately, improve their quality of life. What do you love about your specialty? I love being a part of my patients’ ‘health team’ and being able to support my patients at different stages of their lives. For instance, seeing a woman pre-pregnancy to help prepare their body and then having them come back into my treatment rooms sometime later exclaiming, ‘I’m pregnant!’. Being able to support these patients throughout their pregnancy and beyond, and then getting to meet their new little baby and safely guiding them back into exercise after giving birth is just so rewarding. Helping patients through such an important and precious time in their lives gives me immense job satisfaction! What is good health to you? Finding balance in your body—that is, making sure you have both ‘yin’ and ‘yang’; pairing cardio (walking, running, swimming) with strength and conditioning (such as weights), or pairing strength and conditioning work with stretching and yoga. Thinking back to your time as a student—what did you most like about St Mary’s College? There was an excellent culture and great teachers. St Mary’s College was competitive in the sports arena and it had such a great supportive environment!
What is your advice for a current Year 12 student? When it comes to thinking about your career pathway, make sure you talk to multiple adults in different industries. Work out which industry and/or career path works best for you, but also do your research on what industries are booming at the moment, or what industries are going to boom (for instance, the IT industry).
