Our Lady of Mercy College (OLMC) Burraneer has welcomed a new high profile mentor for students as part of a strengthened future-focused learning approach.

SBS and BBC World News journalist, Tanya Dendrinos, spoke to the college’s Year 10 students about career pathways on 12 May, ahead of their transition to senior studies.

A former student of the college’s principal Leonie Pearce, Ms Dendrinos shared insights from her path to success and time as a foreign correspondent, including the importance of networking and the nonlinear nature of career pathways.

OLMC’s Leader of Learning and Innovation, Lauren Batty, said Year 10 were currently considering subject selection for years 11 and 12, and both ATAR and Non-ATAR pathway options.

“We hope that Tanya’s pathway insights resonate with Year 10, and motivate them to seize opportunities and feel excited by this time of future-focused thinking and planning,” she said.

Principal Leonie Pearce said the mentoring complements a teaching approach that aims to develop students’ capacity to transfer knowledge and skills to their future studies and careers – no matter the subject – through relevant learning experiences.

“Exposure to different life and career experiences prompts the girls to reflect on their own passions and be inspired by others” – Leonie Pearce

“Like other young people, many of our students are unaware of the endless possibilities or the ways to achieve their goals,” Mrs Pearce said.

“We believe in the importance of every girl exploring their own personalised pathway. 

“By fostering opportunities for deep learning and meaningful challenges, we hope that our students will become empowered women who contribute to the common good, address global challenges and flourish in a complex world.”

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Ms Dendrinos also provided OLMC’s new Mercy Media Team – a co-curricular group of 30 aspiring journalists from years 7 to 10 – with tips on how to find newsworthy stories in all they encounter.

She gave feedback on their work, advice on how to film and present to camera, and shared her journalism insights with the school’s Year 7 and 9 English classes.

“I really like the opportunity to be creative, film and be in front of the camera,” Mercy Media Team member Amelia Gray, in Year 8, remarked afterwards.

“It was lovely to meet and learn from someone who is in journalism,” added Amelia, who is currently working on a video story about her recent Year 8 camp. “She gave us a lot of tips on filming and how to read a teleprompter.”