On August 29, Our Lady of Mercy College Parramatta hosted its annual Women in Leadership Forum. A panel of inspiring women shared their experiences of the challenges they faced along their pathway to success. Mercy Girls and their families, Sisters of Mercy Parramatta, students from other schools and OLMC staff listened to addresses by speakers: Marina Go (Chair of Wests Tigers NRL Club), Justice Julia Lonergan (NSW Supreme Court Judge), Amanda Farrugia (Captain of the AFLW GWS Giants) and Carol Salloum (Restaurateur – Almond Bar, Darlinghurst).
Mrs Marie Wood, Principal (Acting) sees the importance in events such as these to “remind us all to take risks, be confident and learn from challenges”. The generosity of these fabulous speakers encourages others to prepare themselves for what is ahead and to value determination as a core Mercy quality. Marina Go spoke of her vision from a young age and how she kept this in sight regardless of the hurdles she faced. Justice Julia Lonergan encouraged us to speak up for ourselves and others, to challenge ourselves and to face fear head on.
OLMC ex-student and teacher, Amanda Farrugia, spoke of her love for teaching and how OLMC has “shaped my understanding to challenge the status quo confronted by inequalities”, giving her confidence to pursue a sporting career in an otherwise male-dominated sport while still working full-time as a teacher. She emphasised the importance of surrounding ourselves with supportive people. Carol Salloum furthered the conversation around support, urging students to seek the assistance of family, as she has done in developing and growing her restaurant business.
Attendees were encouraged to join in the conversation with a live Twitter feed. The evening ended with a Q&A session, contributing to further insights from these four remarkable women.
Follow the conversation: #womeninleadership2018
