Toorak Collegian Stories

From Fashion Lover to Purpose-Driven Founder An Unexpected Start in Fashion I started working in the fashion industry straight out of university – quite a pivot from my Arts degree, but it was meant to be. I had always loved fashion, and ultimately would have made for a pretty rubbish public servant. I got my break in London, after volunteering a day a week at cult denim brand AG Adriano Goldschmied – in between other jobs – until they finally hired me. This came as a great relief after several…

A Fresh Start at Toorak College My parents sent me to Toorak College in Year 11 because I was, quite frankly, ‘cruising’ at the local high school. It was a rude shock when I arrived at Toorak. My grades plummeted from straight As to Cs and Ds. The standards at Toorak were a lot higher than they had been at my previous school. Proving Myself I had selected a range of subjects to undertake in Year 11, including a Year 12 History subject. The teacher of that subject was not pleased that a girl…

The Beginning of a Naval Career In 1993, a Navy Seahawk helicopter landed on the lower sports ground and presented me with a scholarship to the Australian Defence Force Academy. I joined the Navy as a Maritime Warfare Officer shortly after finishing school and remained there until June 2024 when I retired. Throughout my career, the skills and values I learnt at Toorak served me at every turn. I carried them into every submarine, leadership challenge, and tough decision. The school's core values…

I have had a very non-linear career, which is now increasingly common but wasn't something I was aware of in my time at school. A non-linear career is built by taking chances and following your passion rather than the well-worn path of others. It is not about climbing each rung of a ladder but rather about building up blocks of skills and applying them across industries and opportunities. Early Influences and Sustainability Foundations I started caring about sustainability and climate change…

When I was in Year 10 at Toorak College we were given a careers project involving the selection of three potential professions. Mine were very eclectic: guide dog trainer, marine biologist, and lawyer. Clearly I had no clue what I wanted to be! By the time I finished school, I had done an exchange in South Africa and wanted to be a diplomat. I was told a law degree would open doors to this and other careers, so I enrolled in a combined law/arts degree. I found the study of law very tedious and…

Born in Nigeria, raised in Australia and a citizen of the Netherlands, you are a true global citizen. How did your time at Toorak influence your pathway? My career direction was decided at Toorak College when Mr. Brown told me I was about to fail chemistry. After successfully negotiating a passing grade on the promise that I would never again set foot in a chemistry lab, I studied art with Mrs. Taylor and loved it. I have fond memories of sitting in the dark looking at slides of famous works of…

I took a very long time to decide what career I wanted to pursue, mainly because I liked many of the subjects I took at school and then at university. It was a very broad selection, from chemistry through to gender politics and anthropology. I remember thinking from an early age that I wanted my career to be something that would make a difference in the world, but I had no idea how I could achieve that. The decision to focus on chemistry as a career happened very suddenly after a third-year…

What if there was a way to tackle global poverty, reduce inequality, accelerate climate action and promote peace, to improve the lives of everyone on the planet, all from a single investment? There is, and she’s right in front of you: the adolescent girl. Girls aged 10-19 are the most powerful catalysts for global change according to the UN. If every girl in the world’s developing countries was able to complete her education rather than dropping out of school, it would add billions to their…

Kate Pullen Discusses The Joys And Challenges Of Building A Freelancing Career In Visual Arts And Design Can you please introduce yourself and briefly describe what freelance work looks like for you? Hello! I am Kate, and I call myself a freelance letterer and illustrator. What this looks like can change from day to day: Monday might see me spending time opening emails requesting quotes for new jobs, that I would then pass onto my agent; Tuesday could see me visiting the site of an upcoming…