Tell us about your time at SKC

I was one of the 1983 girls from St Thomas’ who joined SKC when it became co-ed. We came from a tiny girls' catholic school behind the Oamaru Basilica and convent with 92 girls from form 3-7, there were several teaching nuns. SKC was a much bigger school with a strong culture, high standards, and a wider curriculum. It offered so many more sports and of course, the boys were pretty interesting and good fun. Our class size went from 22 to 32, 6 girls and 26 boys. Brother Murray was my form teacher in 1983 so it was the full SKC immersion. It was a great experience for me, in my 5th form year. Coming from such a small school, with brothers in each other’s years, form 5-7 year groups socialised quite a lot. It was all very new and exciting! I was a keen netballer and basketballer. I won flags in golf, table tennis, cross country, and The Morcane Cup. I participated in the Bishop's Shield debating and impromptu speech competitions and the production. I represented North Otago in Netball and basketball. SKC gave me a great foundation. My SKC education allowed me to be involved in a wide variety of experiences at school together with trips for inter-school sports tournaments and the 7th form geography trip to Mt Cook. SKC extended my public speaking and leadership experience. My first entrepreneurial experience was in 7th Form Accounting doing Young Enterprise with Jean Palmer, several of our careers were in the roles we held in that group which further cements the seeds that were planted in our SKC education.

What have you been doing since leaving SKC?

I became a travel agent, working in Oamaru for 5 years, and then in Christchurch with the House of Travel Group. I went into my first business when I was 26 as an Owner Operator in Riccarton and then I joined Beth Yates my business Partner in House of Travel Merivale as an Owner operator for 23 years. The reason I sold and moved businesses was to join a business partner with high integrity, we were regularly told we had the best partnership in the HOT group, with similar family values, again I credit that to my family upbringing, some great role models and my education at SKC. I was a director on the board of Partnership Services, part of the House of Travel group as our region's representative for 18 years until 2020 when I exited the business due to Covid. That was a pretty big change in my career, having spent 35 years in travel. I was a leading member of the group with a high-performing store. So it’s been a bit of a transition to become valued and purposeful again. I had always regretted not going to university, I had resigned twice in my early years in Oamaru to go and varsity but they made me offers to travel that I couldn’t refuse. This change allowed me to fulfil that goal, I studied and completed a Bachelor of Applied Management, majoring in Strategic Management and Transformation and Change. Graduating the same year as our oldest daughter Kate was a bit special. Post-travel I did some business mentoring and management consulting, and have since joined John in our family business Crombie & Price Ltd. We import and distribute natural and organic health food and skincare products to Pharmacy, Health & Organic stores and Supermarkets. Last year I was asked to join Anaro Group an Oamaru-based investment company in Investor Relations, connecting people with opportunities to invest in commercial buildings as a group of shareholders. I also do some strategic planning projects and some business coaching, so my life is quite fulfilling again with family, sports and travel the icing on the cake.

How SKC shaped you for life outside of school

35 years in travel gave me and my family many wonderful travel experiences. My passion for travel made this a perfect career for me and I credit some of that to 7th-form geography teachers Jacqui Waugh and Gerry Thwaites, and a nudge from my dad. We travelled to Hawaii a lot, but globally as well, too many to mention. SKC introduced me to my passion for sports and my competitive spirit, prioritising sport has always been the balance for me, I have done a lot of thinking on my bike over the years. Some highlights of travelling and sport have been competing and being on the podium in Hawaii at the US Nationals in 2019 (3rd) and the French Polynesian Nationals in 2010 (1st). Winning 9 national NZ Slalom Windsurf titles has brought a lot of joy, together with a lot of MTB races, Motatapu, Naesby, and McLeans Island. Terry my husband races in all the same events so I feel very lucky and would say that like my time at SKC, it lifts me beyond my own skill set. We have 2 beautiful daughters now 21 and 22 who we have dragged off to many races and got them in a few too. I have done yoga for 30 years, walk with friends and am very much a people person, I get great joy from connecting. To finish can I praise Kara and Jo from SKC for inviting the girls from 1983 back to SKC last September to reconnect with each other and the college? It was fantastic and the highlight was hearing Jackie Waugh (now Barron) speak of her experience as a young female teacher coming to SKC. She told us we were ground breakers as there was quite some ground to break! We were so stimulated by all the activity and experiences around us that I think she and others may have done the lion's share of ground-breaking to make women an equal part of SKC. It’s a credit to her and all who came after us both students and staff to create the school it is today.

Article added: Monday 19 February 2024