From the outside, St Catherine’s College looks quite different now. With the additions of our new buildings in 2014 and 2019, our College has grown significantly. However, some things at St Catherine’s are timeless, like catching up with friends in your room, getting dressed up for a special event, or having fun. These photos were taken in 1972, and were kindly provided to us by Ann Osborne.
Josh Cheng lived at St Catherine’s from 2019 to 2021 and studied a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Mathematics and Statistics and Computer Science. He recently joined Rio Tinto as part of their graduate program.
I am a Junior Software Developer and currently learning to create applications and the software development process. In addition, I get to work on pieces of software that they currently use on-site, which is such an amazing experience. Getting the opportunity to make a difference to production software and improving the quality of life of people on site is so valuable.
I’m three weeks into the program at the moment. I’ve really enjoyed the culture of the company and how friendly everyone is since starting in early March. I’m most excited to move to Brisbane to commence working with my team there. Being so supported in the relocation process has been amazing, and I’m stoked to see what Brisbane has to offer.
My advice would be to create a cover letter and do your research! There’s nothing worse than getting a question in an interview about the company values and not knowing what they are. In addition, UWA has a tool called BigInterview, which is amazing for interview training and helping people get more confident, which I would highly recommend. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get an interview, or ultimately don’t get the position, just keep producing quality applications, and you’ll get in eventually!
To celebrate Mother’s Day, we asked residents across our UWA and Curtin campuses how their mothers have helped shape them.
What makes your mum special to you?
“What makes my mum special to me is her utter resilience. She is such a giving and kind person, and she is my rock and the rock for all the people around her – and I love that so much about her.” – Sharissa
“My mum is my best friend – we’re so similar and enjoy the same sense of humour. We’re always laughing when we get together.” – Molly
“Her comforting presence. Even when I’m at College, I call or FaceTime her every day. And if I’m ever stressed, she always comforts me and knows how to make me feel better – always.” – Jess
“My mum’s unconditional support of everything I do makes her special to me. The best example I can think of is in high school. I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do, and I had no idea for quite a while – I was a bit lost. In the end, I decided to do medicine. As soon as I said it, my mum said that I would be a great doctor and make a genuine difference, which meant a lot to me. It helped me push through those hard years of getting into the course.
Even though she supports me, she will also pull me in line when I need it, which I respect. It’s great to have someone there checking in.” – Tom
What is something your proud of about your mum?
“I’m so proud that she went back to university later in life and got her degree. I couldn’t be prouder of her.” – Sharissa
“I’m very proud of how courageous she is. She steps out of her comfort zone and shows my siblings and me what it takes to be a woman in this day and age. She is just incredible and brave.” – Molly
“My mum is extremely selfless. Even if she is having a bad day, she will put us kids in front of everything and has full focus on making us feel better.” – Jess
“I’m proud of all my mum has been through and how she has come to where she is today. My parents bought a farm, which was my dad’s dream. It was a big thing for her to just pack up and leave to go to the country, but she was extremely supportive of my dad’s dream. However, there were years where they had a huge mortgage, and a lot of work was needed on the farm. And when my dad was working FIFO, my mum had to look after my sister and me, as well as run the farm. I know that might not sound that big of a deal, but when you have one person running a five hundred acres property with lots of livestock, it’s a big deal!” – Tom
What is something you’re grateful for about your mum?
“Literally everything. My mum is a superhero, and she does everything for me. She is always there for me, and I love everything she does. I’m so grateful for her.” – Sharissa
“When I’m sad or overwhelmed, she doesn’t have to say anything. She opens her arms and gives me a big hug. Whenever I ask her for advice, she just says, “Molly, you don’t need to do anything. We will figure it out together”.” – Molly
“Everything! When my mum is busy at work, and I call, she will always answer – which I’m grateful for. I see her as my best friend, and she always knows how to make me feel better.” – Jess
“Anyone who meets my mum will soon realise she is an incredibly generous and empathetic person. For example, she took in my best mate when he was asked to leave school and helped him with a second start. But that’s just one example – there are so many. I can also call her at any time, and we can just talk for hours.” – Tom
Carina has been an international resident at the College since 2020 and is in her third year of a Marine Science and Zoology undergraduate degree at The University of Western Australia. Last year, Carina was a College RA and this year, she is one of our Co-Presidents.
Her favourite place to study and have a coffee is Boubar on Hampden Road because “they have the best Chai Lattes and the nicest baristas,” she said. Daisies Cottesloe and North Street Store are Carina’s other favourite places to catch up with friends because they are close to the beach.
Carina’s favourite memory at St Cat’s is when her Wing took a trip down south to Augusta. “We had a social media detox, painted, played games, went to the beach and learnt aerial silk acrobatics,” she said.
She applied to become Co-President because she has felt welcomed, loved and supported by the St Cat’s community.
“Living away from home has been challenging for me; however, I couldn’t have asked for a better home away from home.”
Carina’s advice to incoming freshers is “to participate in as many opportunities as possible; the people you meet here will be your friends for life!”
Bradley is a second-year resident at St Catherine’s and is in his second year of Bachelor of Commerce at The University of Western Australia. Last year, Bradley was the fresher representative for St Catherine’s in the Residential Students’ Department – RSD, UWA Student Guild Committee, and this year he is our Upper Arney RA.
His favourite place to study is in the breakout rooms around College because they are a quiet and motivating place to get work done. His favourite coffee place is Boubar on Hampden Road because it’s a fun place to meet up with a friend. Plus, St Catherine’s residents get a 10% discount.
He applied to become an RA to ‘return the favour’ to the RAs who had such a positive impact on his transition to College and to support incoming residents as they undertake the next chapter of their lives.
Bradley’s advice to incoming freshers is to take every opportunity you come across – you have nothing to lose! Moving to College is daunting, but the College staff and the RA team are here to support you and make the transition successful!
Chana has been a resident at the College for the last three years and is in her first year of a Postgraduate Medicine degree at The University of Western Australia. Last year, Chana was one of our Sports RAs and this year she is our Senior RA.
Her favourite place to study is the Wisteria Courtyard at St Cat’s, because the flowers are beautiful in spring and summer, and it’s always cheerful and sunny. She enjoys heading to Boubar on Hampton Road to get a coffee with friends, and The Hampton Hotel for a drink.
Chana’s favourite memory at St Cat’s is winning the Inter-College Sports Cup in 2021. As a Sports RA, she was involved in giving out awards at the annual Sports Dinner, which was followed by fireworks in the JCR Courtyard.
She applied to become an RA because she loves bringing cool events that help people share their skills and hobbies to life, as well as giving residents the chance to connect with their community. “I’m also really competitive and enjoyed getting our sports teams to the top of their game,” she said.
Chana’s advice to incoming freshers is to get into good habits from day one – stay active in a way that makes you feel your best, organise study dates with your mates to stay on top of your university work and always make time to have fun and go to events.
This International Women’s Day, we celebrate all the women in our College community who are paving the way for the next generation and are breaking the bias around gender inequality.
St Catherine’s was founded as a women’s only College in 1928 (becoming co-educational in 2014) with a mission to support women pursuing higher education in Western Australia. Since then, the College has been home to many inspiring women, including:
Hon Dr Carmen Lawrence (1965 – 1968), who became the first female premier of an Australian state in 1990
Professor Lesley Cala (1960 – 1964), a pioneer in Neuroradiology who secured the first CT scan machine in the southern hemisphere for Perth in 1975
Fulbright Scholar Francesca Cary (2017 – 2019), is currently exploring life on other planets through planetary geology and astrobiology
Later generations of St Catherine’s women continue to follow in the footsteps of our alumni, with our current residents taking advantage of the opportunities available to them every day in science, sports, business and academia.
Through continuing to strive for excellence, our St Catherine’s women are always breaking down barriers.
St Catherine’s is home to the Centre for Youth Innovation, a program that allows young people to grow their entrepreneurial skills and pursue their passion projects. However, entrepreneurship isn’t just about making money. Many of the projects that come from the Bloom Lab aim to solve problems in our communities. Previous projects have looked at addressing negative body image in young women, stigmas around the LGBTQ+ community, preventing fast fashion and even protecting native bees.
One project that focuses on social impact is Hello Initiative, a not-for-profit start-up that seeks to improve social and judicial outcomes for young people in the criminal justice system. Hello Initiative was founded in 2019 by two UWA students, Ashleigh Small and Chris Dickson. Read on to hear more about how they grew their project with innovative thinking.
No-one else seemed to address these challenges in an innovative way, and the old system wasn’t working. The youth justice system was ripe for some disruption and the community need was clear. We wanted to deliver a ‘risky’ program and we were willing to take that risk on ourselves as a start-up
Changing community perceptions around young people in the justice system. We try to reduce fear and promote the understanding that while young people may make mistakes, our community should still be invested in their reform and their future opportunities. Funding a small charity that works in a complex (and controversial) sector, especially during a global pandemic is also an ongoing challenge.
Lean in and learn more about a problem that you feel passionate about. You don’t need experience – if someone else had solved this problem before we wouldn’t have it, so why not try something? Volunteering and social impact work is hard, make sure you know what you are getting yourself into. It’s also the most rewarding thing you can do, so don’t be put off, just be confident.
St Catherine’s Resident Prem Sathiamoorthy is studying a Bachelor of Biomedical Science and was recently awarded the GradReady Principals Scholarship. As a St Cat’s resident, if you wish to study medicine, you are eligible to apply for a scholarship to undertake the GradReady GAMSAT Preparation Course free of charge upon successful application.
Read on for some of Prem’s advice for aspiring medicine students!
My grandfather was a huge inspiration to me. He is an orthopaedic surgeon and always treated everyone who came to his clinic regardless of whether they could afford his fees. He was passionate about helping others and serving the community and instilled that passion in me as well from a young age.
My current goal is to get into postgraduate Medicine, preferably in Perth but would be happy to get in anywhere. Study hard, finish my degree and explore which specialties I might be interested to pursue in the future.
It’s a hard road even to get into medicine. Make sure you are truly passionate about it for the right reasons and surround yourself with a good support system so that even if you lose sight of your goal for a bit or stumble along the way, they are there to help you up and celebrate your success at the end.
Prem will also be taking on the role of Tutorial RA at St Catherine’s College this year. This role facilitates the running of our Academic tutorial program, which runs over 150 different tutorials across many different subjects. Our residents are able to access tutorials for free as students and they can also apply to be paid tutors for units they received high marks in.
Click below to learn more about the Academic Program on offer at St Catherine’s.
Congratulations to St Catherine’s College Board member Dr Sue Boyd and College Fellow Winthrop Professor Marc Tennant on becoming a Member of the Order of Australia as announced in the Australia Day 2022 Honours List.
Dr Sue Boyd AM was awarded the title for her significant service to international relations, tertiary education, and women’s affairs. During her time as a St Catherine’s resident from 1966 to 1969, Sue was the first female student to be elected as the Student Guild President at the University of Western Australia. She went on to become a high-ranking diplomat, serving in countries including Bangladesh, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Fiji and played an important role in improving the status of women serving in foreign affairs.
Winthrop Professor Marc Tennant AM was awarded the title for his significant service to dental tertiary education and professional associations. Throughout his academic career, Marc has dedicated his time to addressing issues of equity and justice through reforming health services globally. Marc is the Director and Founder of the International Research Collaborative – Oral Health and Equity in Human Sciences at UWA. The Collaborative is a global leader in driving reform focused on marginalization and addressing health inequality. Marc is also on hand to mentor residents each week as part of the Scientist in Residence Program at the College.
To see more of these two changemakers, check out Sue’s article in the Banksia Magazine or Marc’s appearances on our YouTube channel.
