Five minutes with women in leadership at Trinity – International Women’s Day 2022
It’s been a big couple of years in the life of Trinity, as well as in the world. To celebrate International Women’s Day 2022, we sat down with some of Trinity’s female Heads of Department from across our campuses, to hear a little bit about what leadership looks like for them and what’s on the horizon for them.
Maryellen Ottaway
Assistant Head of Science
What is the biggest lesson in leadership you’ve learnt in the past 12 months?
The biggest lesson I have learned has been the value of short but frequent check-in with colleagues. The concept of the ‘15 min stand-up’ conversation has been extremely valuable. Also, the idea of making short-term goals achievable with a definite timeline.
Who is a female role model that you look up to?
Mother Teresa – her humility, dedication, and genuine love of God and people is truly inspiring.
What is your favourite part about working at Trinity?
Seeing ‘boys’ enter the Secondary School and leave as ‘young men’ brings great joy to any teacher and lasting memories.
What is something you are looking forward to in the life of the School in the coming year?
It would be nice to think that this year we will be able to have the interactions that are vital in developing the students both intellectually and pastorally. Actually performing experiments in Chemistry and giving the boys the hands-on experience of collecting and analysing their own data is such a great learning experience.
Marian Dunbar
Assistant Head of Mathematics
What is the biggest lesson in leadership you’ve learnt in the past 12 months?
The last two years have reminded me that everyone reacts to stress differently, and to be a good colleague we have to remember that, and try to work with people where they are at. I think this has been highlighted through COVID-19 as people are dealing with health issues, partners losing work, or just a general anxiety about the future.
What is your favourite part about working at Trinity?
The people! The Mathematics Department is a great place to work with people who can make you laugh when things are busy and will support you when things go wrong. They also bake excellent cakes when our competitive side comes to the fore with a ‘Bake-off’ that started as a joke! There are so many great people across all of Trinity to work with, and it has been a privilege to meet them through the various Sport / Co-curricular / House activities we do.
What is something you are looking forward to in your leadership in the coming year?
I am looking forward to working with my colleagues in a different way this year. I am looking forward to learning from them, and working with them to make us all better classroom practitioners.
Stefanie Gaspari
Director of Library Services
What is the biggest lesson in leadership you’ve learnt in the past 12 months?
“Real Leaders Lead With Love” — this quote is by American artist, poet, activist and author, Cleo Wade. I had the privilege of meeting Cleo at the Sydney Writers’ Festival in 2018 but the challenges of the past 12 months prompted me to revisit her work and be re-inspired by the power of the human experience.
Leadership is about more than title or position. It is about taking opportunities to give to and learn from others. We all have the capacity to be “real leaders”.
Who is a female role model that you look up to?
This is a hard question! I have been blessed with an array of female role models in my family and working life. If I reflect on the IWD 2022 theme #BreakTheBias I am most proud of my Mum – she was the first woman in her company to go part-time after giving birth to me, paving the way for other women (and men) to access more inclusive parental leave work practices.
What has been your favourite part about working at Trinity?
The students. They constantly surprise me. For all the growing up they still have to do, many of them are open-minded and caring young men – qualities I hope they carry with them into their adult lives.
What is something you are looking forward to in your own leadership in the coming year?
I recently completed a Master of Business Administration at the University of Sydney. In my studies I learned about the concept of a leadership shadow. In the coming year I am looking forward to exploring opportunities to consider my legacy as a leader — not only in my role at Trinity, but within the field of education and beyond.
Jessica Ford
Head of Academic Care
What is the biggest lesson in leadership you’ve learnt in the past 12 months?
My biggest lesson in leadership in 2021 was around balance. Last year was a unique year for me because as well as the impact of COVID-19, my husband and I became first-time parents. The past 12 months have been focused on learning about the joys and complexities of a newborn. It was during this time when the Preparatory School restructured its leadership team – I applied and was successful in gaining a new role in our curriculum team. I had space to imagine how these two worlds of being a parent and contributing to the life of Trinity fit together. I’m not saying I will always have the right balance. However, I am currently enjoying the rigour and pace of school alongside the joy of bringing up a little person.
Who is a female role model that you look up to?
I would have to say my Mum has had the greatest impact on me as a female role model. Her humility, grace, and ability to balance career and everything else life entails is so inspiring.
What is your favourite part about working at Trinity?
Trinity challenges me to be a better educator. The conversations are always about growth. Growth of our boys, growth of our staff and personal growth. My favourite part is the rigorous conversation, and seeing the fruit of those conversations in how the boys engage in their learning.
What is something you are looking forward to in your own leadership in the coming year?
I am really excited to be back at the Preparatory School thinking about best practice and working with our exceptional Teachers. In my new role as Head of Academic Care my responsibility is to have a holistic understanding of our boys’ learning. I look at data trends and then identify what pedagogical shifts we need to make to meet the needs of the boys. I am looking forward to establishing this new role alongside our team at the Prep school.
Nicole DeLosa
Head of Visual Arts
What is the biggest lesson in leadership you’ve learnt in the past 12 months?
That leadership is more enjoyable and productive when you work as part of a collaborative team that strives for the same thing. While I am always comfortable making decisions when needed, the best ones are made as a team.
Who is a female role model that you look up to?
While I have admired many artists and art educators in my life, on reflection I think it opportune to reflect on my genuine admiration for Julia Gillard, our first Australian female Prime Minister, because she had to lead under extraordinary circumstances in a climate of incredibly poor behaviour displayed towards her by many who should have known better given they should have been role models themselves. She always kept going, despite these difficulties, never shying away from speaking hard truths or just getting the job done. She was able to achieve a great deal during her time and did so with grace and grit. Since being Prime Minister she has gone on to support research into women in leadership and actively inspires and supports women internationally.
What is your favourite part about working at Trinity?
My students. It is rare that I do not get a great deal of satisfaction from the learning achieved in my classroom and if there are opportunities for humour, I am happy to see them flourish. It is very gratifying to see my students work hard, embrace new knowledge and skills while having fun too. While many do not aspire to be artists specifically, they already appreciate that life needs a balance and that skills they learn in Visual Arts are transferable to so many contexts in their life.
What is something you are looking forward to in your own leadership in the coming year?
I am hoping that my leadership will support and inspire my team and Visual Arts students more broadly to enhance the disciplines in the Visual Arts and to build on the amazing work that has already been laid down. It would be great if I could contribute in some way to whole School leadership given there are such physical changes happening in our school to mirror a culture of school improvement more generally.
Take a look at the profile articles we have featured this week:
