St Margaret’s has this year launched an “Imagine Your Future” campaign showcasing the journeys of seven Old Girls which is aimed at inspiring potential students as well as the school’s current cohort.
Each of these women are forging a different trajectory but all hold the collective view that their St Margaret’s education instilled in them the attributes and skills required to succeed in their respective diverse range of fields. They are an inspiration to our current students and to future families and students, engendering students to imagine what their future might look like starting at St Margaret’s.
Bronte Barratt OAM
Triple Olympian Bronte Barratt had a remarkable career as an Australian swimmer, claiming 21 international medals including four Olympic medals. She graduated from St Margaret’s in 2006 and attributes her experience at the school to helping realise her swimming career, a dream she had since she was ten years old.
Caitlin McConnel
Caitlin is an agribusiness and litigation lawyer at Clayton Utz, where she acts for liquidators, administrators, and a range of corporate and government clients in respect of complex commercial litigation and agribusiness matters. Her passion for agriculture stems from her work on her family's historical property, which produces beef cattle in Toogoolawah, Queensland. Her family is the oldest family business in Queensland, and one of the oldest in Australia. She works closely with her parents in respect of their operations at "Cressbrook", and she also represents the family as an historical spokesperson. Caitlin graduated from St Margaret’s in 2007 and says the school shaped the woman she is today, providing her with an extraordinary community that she can draw upon for advice and support in the pursuit of her goals.
Jazz De Busch
Acting student and artist Jazz De Busch graduated from St Margaret’s in 2015. Currently in her second year of an acting degree at Queensland University of Technology, Jazz says she loved drama, art, theatresports and English while at St Margaret’s and knowing these were her strengths, she has pursued these passions since leaving school. Jazz has also launched a jewellery business creating pieces that reflect her family’s Aboriginal culture. She plans to continue to share her culture through a career as an actor and artist.
Emmeline Ezzy
Emmeline Ezzy graduated from St Margaret’s in 2011 and now works as a Project Engineer working on mining projects in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. She says she always had a passion for maths and science while at St Margaret’s and was encouraged to study physics which served her well in her current role as an engineer. Currently the only female engineer on her work site, she recalls it was a story she read at school about a St Margaret’s Old Girl becoming an engineer that inspired her follow in her footsteps.
Taryn Pieterse
Taryn Pieterse is an Investment Manager currently involved in venture capital for tech startups. Graduating from St Margaret’s in 2007, Taryn started her career working in Investment Banking for Goldman Sachs both in Sydney and in London. She later worked for the Light Warrior Group before taking on her current role as an Investment Manager at rampersand, a Seed and Series A stage Venture Capital firm in Australian tech.
Xenia Puskarz-Thomas
Xenia Puskarz-Thomas graduated from St Margaret’s in 2013 and has since continued to pursue her dream of becoming a professional opera singer. From Prep through to Year 12 at St Margaret’s, Xenia was always involved in music-making, especially as a member of the school’s choral and strings programs. Xenia said she received extraordinary support and encouragement from her teachers and colleagues at St Margaret’s and counts herself lucky to be a ‘Maggies Girl’.
Dr Rebecca Won
Dr Rebecca Won is a plastic, reconstructive and hand surgeon. In addition to working in private practice, Rebecca is a senior lecturer at The University of Queensland. She is also Chair of the Queensland Chapter of the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons, a member of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons younger Fellows Committee and contributes to the Medical Response Evacuation Group assessing the health of asylum seekers in offshore detention facilities. Graduating from St Margaret’s in 1999, Rebecca says: “St Margaret’s instilled in me a deep sense of “women can do anything” and a desire to give back to the community. I never once felt that medicine, or surgery was beyond my reach because I was female.”