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Inspirational women from our school community reflect on what it means to be a woman today, their aspirations and hopes for the future:
Gabrielle Petersen – College Captain, St Mary MacKillop College
What does it mean to you to be a woman?
Being a woman, to me, means so many things. One of the most important parts of being a woman is that we have the sacred responsibility of bearing children and raising and nurturing them. The role of a mother plays an integral part in the dynamic of our communities and I think that is incredible. Of course, we are not just restricted to the role of mother. I am very fortunate to have been born at a time where women aren’t as restricted as they used to be, and I have many people who have come before me to thank for that.
Who do you aspire to be?
I aspire to be happy, successful, self-reliant, and knowledgeable. I want to be my best self.
How do you strive to make a difference in the world?
I just want to do my part, to be a good person, and to influence others to be good as well. If everyone played their own part, that’s how you change the world.
What are your hopes for women in the future?
My hope is that all women are able to do whatever they want to do – whether that’s playing professional sports, becoming mothers, studying, or working whatever field they choose to pursue. It is inspiring to see women working in lots of different fields.
What makes a strong woman?
A strong woman sees their own self-worth, always wants to learn, and has resilience.
Who inspires you?
I am inspired by people like Serena Williams, Anthony Joshua, and Richie McCaw. They are successful, humble, and have good values that I hope to attain.
What are you greatest achievements to date?
My greatest achievements are:
- Becoming College Captain at St Mary MacKillop College
- Recovering from an ACL reconstruction
- Representing the ACT in touch football and netball
- Representing Australia’s Aborginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples at the World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education in 2017.
What is your message for International Women’s Day?
I want to wish all women a happy International Women’s Day! I have two younger sisters who I love so much. I always tell them to try their best in everything they do and to be appreciative of every opportunity that comes their way. That would be my message to every young woman.
What do you want to do in the future/career?
If I’m not playing sport professionally, I want to be a midwife or a reproductive psychiatrist. I also want to get married and have children.
Lauren Phillips – Year 12, St Mary MacKillop College
What does it mean to you to be a woman?
Playing in a sport with boys for many years has influenced my opinions about gender. But to me, being a woman isn’t about comparing yourself to another person (no matter the gender), but instead being a woman is acknowledging the person you are and trying one’s hardest to be the best version of themselves. I strive to make change, and for me in particular, making change and showing people my strengths play an important role in what it means for me to be a woman in today’s world.
Who do you aspire to be?
As a person I aspire to be the best person I can be. I believe that it is important to always be on the move and making positive change. Because of that, I aspire to be a leader – not necessarily a leader with a badge or holding a certain position, but a leader who people can go to in times of need. I want to be a person who others know will take time out of their day to help. I aspire to be a friend to all people, a welcoming person, somebody that people know they can come to for advice and support.
How do you strive to make a difference in the world?
I strive to make a difference by helping people. I find that giving advice or doing little things for people who need it makes a big difference to them. A lot of people focus on charities or world issues, which are obviously important, but a lot of the time we can make a big difference locally and in our personal relationships. That way you can see your results and see that you are making a difference. Little things like helping a friend or a class mate who are having a small issue can help them recognise that people care and are happy and willing to help.
What are your hopes for women in the future?
My hope for women in the future is that they are confident in what they do – whether they are in positions of power, such as the government, working hard in their chosen careers, or doing things to make a difference in our communities. My hope is that they can back themselves and make decisions and change using their own ideas rather than feeling that they need to do things to please other people.
What makes a strong woman?
A strong woman is somebody who can back themselves and remain independent while also supporting and being compassionate to the people around them. A strong woman can be made of many things, things like the kind of career a woman has chosen, or the way they react to testing situations, but also in the way that they carry themselves around others. A strong woman is supportive to the people around them and inspires others – not just women, but people in general.
Who inspires you?
My mum inspires me. She is the type of person who, no matter the situation, what time it is, or how far from home you are, she will come running without fail to support me. Even though she has a lot to handle and is ALWAYS busy she remains that consistent support and aid in my life no matter what she may be dealing with. To me she represents a strong woman, she is compassionate in the face of adversity, always. I think that sometimes we take for granted the consistent present of support.
What are you greatest achievements to date?
Representing Australia at the Indoor Cricket World Cup (and winning it) will remain one of the biggest achievements in my books. But something that trumps it for me is the work that I put in to gain selection into that team. Being able to look back on the countless hours of hard work and discipline, knowing now that it all paid off brings me great satisfaction whenever I think about that achievement. Over the course of the last two years I have been very lucky to also feature in cricketing promotions and events including aiding in the Canberra Big bash Cricket Bid alongside Brad Haddin and taking photos with Sport Australia for their most recent campaign. Both things I see as an achievement, mainly because I know that the way I have conducted myself and represented myself as a great athlete and a leader has allowed me to gain these opportunities and for that I am quite proud of myself.
What is your message for International Women’s Day?
Happy International Women’s Day! I want to remind women that they can be strong and independent and that they don’t need to make decisions simply to please others. Young women need to realise that they have potential and there’s so much time for them to make a difference and achieve their goals. Always strive to meet a goal. Once you meet a goal, create a new one. Keep working and pushing for self-improvement – that’s how we will grow as a community.
What do you want to do in the future/career?
Career-wise, I am looking at joining the police force. One of the things is that there aren’t a lot of women in that field. I just want to make a difference and help people. Girls and women seeing other women in positions where they can help and make change can be extremely inspiring. I believe that is important.
If I’m not able to make a career as an athlete in cricket, I would still love to be involved as a coach to be able to help young women coming through and to be an example for them. Young girl athletes have troubles with self-image and confidence. Going through that and experiencing that myself lets me understand on a personal level the things that these young girls are dealing with and by working with them as a coach allows me to help them and educate them on how to overcome the struggle they are dealing with.
My goal for the future is to place myself in as many situations where I am helping other people, whether that is through sport or medicine or law enforcement because knowing that I can make a difference to others inspires me to strive more and more to help others.
Rebecca Zivkovic – Year 12, St Mary MacKillop College
What does it mean to you to be a woman?
To me, being a woman means having the strength, courage and agency to be whoever you want to be.
Who do you aspire to be?
I aspire to be a magnanimous, hardworking and independent woman who is passionate about the things I love. I aspire to be a woman who is unapologetically myself and inspires others to be the same.
How do you strive to make a difference in the world?
I strive to make a difference in the world by continuing to evaluate and reassess how the choices I make impact my own life as well as the lives of those around me. Whether this is in regard to how I treat others or my influence on the environment, I am always seeking to be a better version of myself and operate from a place of love and patience.
What are your hopes for women in the future?
I hope that future generations of women have the freedom and agency to make choices that will allow them to live the lives they wish to lead, free of condemnation and guilt. I hope they learn to feel full and complete on their own and are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve. I also hope that they continue to be grateful for the sacrifices and hardships their predecessors faced and aim to honour their vision for women of the future.
What makes a strong woman?
I don’t think there’s any one thing that separates one woman from another in terms of measuring their respective levels of strength, as there are so many things that accumulate in a woman’s life that make her who she is. However, I do admire women who have the ability to admit when they aren’t feeling strong and can be comfortable in that kind of vulnerability, and yet can also recognise the power of their strength and use it to empower those around them.
Who inspires you?
Aside from all the wonderful men and women within my own life who inspire me on a day to day basis, I would have to say Tracee Ellis Ross, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Harry Styles and Alexa Chung are the four people I look up to most. Each of them meet everything that they do with the utmost love, respect and passion and aren’t afraid to be who they truly are.
What are your greatest achievements to date?
My greatest achievement in life so far would undoubtedly have to be beating cancer, a great challenge of which I am incredibly proud and grateful that I have overcome.
What is your message for young women (or women in general) for International Women’s Day?
THANK YOU! Thank you for everything that you are and everything that you do, each and every one of you deserve to be celebrated and appreciated far beyond International Women’s Day for all that you contribute to the world! Also make sure to tell all the women in your own life what they mean to you and take the time to revel in the glory of your womanhood!
What do you want to do in the future/career?
To be honest, I’m not entirely sure and for now I think that’s ok! I think there’s a lot of pressure put on young people, women especially, when it comes to plans for the future and making a life for yourself. I think not knowing and not having anything set in stone is part of the adventure and another challenge I’m looking forward to tackling head on. For right now though, regardless of what I end up deciding to do career wise, I hope to be happy, healthy and safe.
Barbara Morris – Teacher, St Francis Xavier College
What does it mean to you to be a woman?
Being a woman is about being part of an inspiring tribe who love, laugh, create and cry in equal measure.
Who do you aspire to be?
I aspire to be a happier human being who is grateful for the good fortune in my life.
How do you strive to make a difference in the world?
Making a difference in the world can be as simple as saying hello to a student when they arrive at school. Making a difference through giving hope and
What are your hopes for women in the future?
Women of the future will see equality as a given, that gender will not be a discussion point and respect is a given. That women will have a voice that is listened to.
What makes a strong woman?
A strong woman is someone who is brave, who has dignity, compassion and generosity, who has the ability to laugh deeply, understand heartache and knows she does not walk alone.
Who inspires you?
Can be male or female I am inspired not by one person but by many: those who champion the rights of the underdog, those who hunger for knowledge, the person who is compassionate, the person who listens with their heart and their ears, the brave and the generous.
What are you greatest achievements to date?
Being a wife, mother and Nanna to my family are wonderful achievements in my life. I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to study at a tertiary level from my initial degree through to my doctoral studies. I have great friendships that have sustained me through the easy and the difficult times.
What is your message for International Women’s Day?
For young women – Be the Truth: empower each other and build a future of hope. You can do it!
For adults – Do the Truth: be the people that we want our children to be.
Overarching
Kelly Candy – Teacher, St Francis Xavier College
What does it mean to you to be a woman?
It’s a gift to be a woman today. So many women have fought hard battles for todays women to be where we are, however, there is still a long way to go. To me, being a woman means I need to set a strong example to other women, students and young people that no matter your gender, we are all humans with individual characteristics. I want to live my life by my values and show kindness, courage and truth to the people around me.
Who do you aspire to be?
I aspire to be a leader. A person who stands up for their beliefs and achieves change through education, research and understanding.
How do you strive to make a difference in the world?
By educating young people and assisting them to be the best people they can be. I want to inspire them to learn about the person they really are and focus on nurturing and growing that person. I have worked with students and staff around health and well being in the past and now I am focussing on teaching and learning strategies to ensure students gain the most from their education.
What are your hopes for women in the future?
I hope women continue to stand up for themselves and be confident to be the individuals they are. I hope that society continues to be even more accepting to all people regardless of their backgrounds.
What makes a strong woman?
A strong woman is someone who lives by her values and sets a good example to younger people by being empathetic, focussed and courageous.
Who inspires you? Can be male or female
I am inspired by Malala Yousafzai and how she had the opportunity to stand up for her beliefs and even though it was dangerous, continued to fight for freedom and education for girls. She is still sharing her message to young people and this helps the students I teach understand how lucky they are to be receiving the education that they are. I am also inspired by sports women of today. They are making a huge difference by fighting for the right to make a living by playing their sports and setting a great example to young girls to be active and strong.
What are you greatest achievements to date?
My greatest achievement to date is graduating from University after recovering from a brain injury 2 years before. I am also very proud of becoming a National Certified Highly Accomplished teacher and using this to mentor and coach other teachers to improve practice and therefore outcomes for students. I have an amazing family that I count my blessings for every single day.
What is your message for International Women’s Day?
For young women – be yourself. Know your values and live by them every day. Stay fit and healthy and question everything!!!!
For adults – Set good examples to teach our young people to treat each other respectfully.
Students – What do you want to do in the future/career?
In the future, I aim to continue to guide my children to be strong, kind people who see the world as a place of learning and wonder. I aim to be a lifelong learner so I can continue to grow as a teacher and leader within education.
Batseba Araya – College Captain, St Francis Xavier College
What does it mean to you to be a woman?
I have never seen myself, or others, as simply their gender. I try instead to see myself as a human being, who has dreams to be achieved and places to go in life, that hopefully I can work with others to reach. Everyone is equal in this respect. As a sister, I try to be caring and considerate, as a daughter, respectful and hardworking, but these are traits that can be in anyone.
Who do you aspire to be?
I aspire to be someone who is successful at the important things in life, such as developing friendships, building a strong family, being a constant support to those around me who need it. Obviously, I want to achieve academically as well, but I want to be balanced at the same time, someone others can see Christ in.
How do you strive to make a difference in the world?
I think every individual whose life I make a difference to is really important. So every time I encounter a situation where my actions could make a positive impact, I try to act, so that little by little, step by step, I can make my mark, even just on the lives of a few people. However, I do want to make a more overarching impact on the world, maybe by joining the U.N. and advocating for human rights, or Medicine San Frontier and providing free medical services to those in developing countries.
What are your hopes for women in the future?
I hope that every woman will have equal opportunity as men to succeed in life, be it before or after joining the workforce. I hope that discrimination against women will no longer have any place in our society, that we will be seen with the dignity that God created us to live in.
What makes a strong woman?
I believe that a strong woman is one who knows who she is, someone of inherent worth and dignity. Someone who does not let the hurdles and obstacles in life hold her back or keep her from achieving what she has set out to achieve. Someone who is not concerned with what others think, but rather with what she holds to be important, and what she will strive towards, and will advocate for the rights of others to support them along their journey also.
Who inspires you? Can be male or female
I find Ben Carson, who grew up in harsh conditions, yet still went on to a successful career that has made a big impact in the field of medicine, very inspiring. I also find Bethany Hamilton inspiring, because she is a young woman who refused to let her circumstances get in the way of her dreams.
What are you greatest achievements to date?
I am really privileged to be a participate in the leadership team at my college, and have so far done well in my studies.
What is your message for International Women’s Day?
For young women – To work hard and be themselves, continuing to advocate for women’s rights and not allowing themselves to be caged in by the unfair practices that many of them may face.
For adults – To remember that if we all benefit as individuals, we will benefit as a society, so the welfare of women should be one of the issues we push our governments to prioritise.
What do you want to do in the future/career?
I would love a career in medicine!
Wendy Rix, Artist
What does it mean to you to be a woman?
My first response is well I don’t know any different. But seriously, I believe it is a balance of being nurturing and strong.
How do you strive to make a difference in the world?
I just want to make someone’s life nicer, or easier, by having met me. I don’t mean saving the world, I just mean by making a difference in someone’s life. It might only be one small random gesture in an ordinary day, but if that changes their outlook on their circumstance, then I have made a difference.
What are your hopes for women in the future?
To be able to have full equal rights, without that being an issue. No tokenism or quotas, just equality. I still believe men and women are different, and that strengths and weaknesses should be celebrated and acknowledged, however an even playing field would be amazing.
What makes a strong woman?
Someone who is capable of enduring obstacles thrown at her, but still maintaining grace.
Who inspires you?
My children. Hannie Belanszky (24, playwright, actress) and Sarah Belanszky, (22, Christian missionary, christian counsellor), who follow their dreams with such passion and integrity. They forgo “normal jobs” and the security that brings, in favour of following their hearts. They are storytellers of a different genre 🙂
What are you greatest achievements to date?
My children. There is no doubt about that. I feel proud of works I have created and people I have met, and things I have done. But raising 2 children as a single mum from when they were 11/10, to be strong, creative, graceful and driven women themselves, would have to be my greatest achievement, hands down.
What is your message for International Women’s Day?
To embrace being a woman, to not strive to be a man, and to celebrate our differences. To achieve great things, we all have to work together. To make a point of being inclusive, and to help raise up women who don’t feel so strong, or feel lost in their circumstances. To never belittle and to be full of grace. Be inspiring, be daring, and dream big.