The Knox School Falconians - Alumni

Falconians - do we have your 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥?

Each Semester we send a dedicated 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 to our Alumni and Former Staff. This newsletter contains updates about what's happening on campus, as well as information and invitations to upcoming events.

In order to receive this, and other communications from TKS, 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞 by following this link https://www.knox.vic.edu.au/.../alumni/update-your-details/

Introducing our 𝐀𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐧𝐢 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, quick snapshot updates and news from fellow Falconians.

Where are they now? What has happened since graduation? What is their fondest memory from School? What is their advice to current TKS students?

First up - Ania Allitt Class of 2012

Keen to be featured? We'd love to hear from you! Email us [email protected]

What an absolute pleasure it was to host our inaugural Careers and Connections Evening last night as part of our National Careers Week celebrations.

The informal networking event provided our Falconian alumni with the opportunity to reconnect with the school, meet former students from across a wide range of year levels and industries, and hear firsthand stories, experiences and career insights.

The relaxed evening of conversation enabled attendees to build valuable professional and personal connections, sparking meaningful networking opportunities and strengthening ties within the TKS alumni community.

We hope to see you at our next event!!

Alumni Spotlight – Novita Puspasari, Class of 2000

Coming to Australia on my own at the age of 16 was not easy. Adapting to a new culture and education system required me to both learn and unlearn many things. Independent learning and critical thinking were not strongly emphasised during my schooling in Indonesia, so adjusting to these expectations challenged me academically and personally.

During this transition, The Knox School played a pivotal role. In the final two years of my schooling, the School helped shape the way I think and approach learning by encouraging curiosity and critical thinking. I was also placed with a safe and welcoming Australian family, whose support made an enormous difference in helping me adapt and thrive.

I always knew I wanted to pursue something related to health and science, but I did not have a clear idea of what that would look like. Despite the challenges, I was fortunate to be accepted into the University of Melbourne to study a Bachelor of Biomedical Science. During my degree, a research summer studentship program sparked my love for research and led me to pursue Honours and ultimately complete a PhD.

From a career perspective, I have not followed a conventional career path and have made several turns along the way. Despite this, I have consistently stayed true to my curiosity and sense of purpose, driven by the desire to make a meaningful impact on people’s lives by improving their health.

When I reflect on my journey, I am most proud of having the courage to take the first step, even when the path was unclear. Being willing to try something different, rather than fitting a traditional mould, has been my greatest lesson in life. My advice to current students is not to be afraid of exploring unfamiliar paths. You never know what opportunities you might uncover. Carve your own path, at your own pace. Grit and resilience also goes a long way.

Only TWO WEEKS to go until our Alumni Careers and Connections Evening. BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL https://www.trybooking.com/DKKDQ

We can't wait to welcome you back to campus!

Bookings close next week, so make sure you secure your ticket as soon as possible

Alumni Spotlight – Christina Baillache, Class of 1994

I started at The Knox School in 1982, the very first year the school opened. Back then, it was just one building with a few portables and lots of blackberry bushes surrounding us. Over the years, I watched the school grow alongside me as the Senior School buildings and Auditorium were constructed, though many of the facilities we have today were still just plans when I graduated in 1994.

I loved my time at TKS and threw myself into everything I could - Rock Eisteddfods, School Sports, Plays, and even Debating. I wasn't particularly good at any of them, but I loved being involved and having School Spirit!
Of all the memories I have, one stands out above the rest. At the end of Year 11, a small group of us, led by our favourite teacher Mr. Spagnol, travelled to the USA as part of the G'day USA exchange program with schools from around Australia. We visited San Francisco, LA, and San Diego, where we stayed with host families and attended school for a week. This was before the internet, so it was eye-opening to discover how little Americans (even the teachers) knew about Australia. This trip cemented my love for travel and shaped nearly 20 years of my career.

I had just turned 17 when I finished Year 12 and didn't apply to university or TAFE. Instead, I fell into an AFL traineeship at North Melbourne Football Club, where I worked for three years while studying Sport and Recreation. Once I completed my studies, I resigned and went on an adventure. When I returned from a three-month European trip with my boyfriend (now husband), I started at Flight Centre and worked my way from Consultant to Manager, then into head office as a Product Development Manager before spending almost 10 years in Learning and Development.

Turning 40 was pivotal - I decided to venture beyond Flight Centre and explore new opportunities. I've worked across many companies in L&D and Sales Leadership, and I've now been at Optus for nearly six years, holding five different roles that have led me to the Small Business Strategy team. The travel industry is still close to my heart and travelling remains one of my favourite pastimes - I've been lucky enough to visit almost 50 countries!

I wasn't the best student academically, but what I did possess was a strong work ethic and an ability to learn quickly and adapt at pace. I'm so grateful for my time at TKS - I still attend all the Reunions and have lifelong friends from those years. It was the only School I ever knew, and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

TKS Alumni - we hope you received our recent email! If not, perhaps we don't have your correct email on our database. Make sure you head to our website to update your details!

Update your details — The Knox School The Knox School acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people, traditional custodians of the land on which we gather, learn and work, and pays respect to their Elders, past and present.

Alumni Spotlight Jason Liu, Class of 2020

Looking back at my time at The Knox School, I remember it as a place that really let me explore who I was. Coming to Australia in 2017 from China to start high school was a big shift, but TKS provided a supportive environment that helped me find my feet. I always had an interest in how things worked and how logic applied to the world, which naturally led me toward technology and IT.

When I was in school, I knew I wanted to do something technical. After graduating, I went on to study Computing and Software development at the University of Melbourne, graduating in 2023. Today, I work as a software engineer. It’s a career that demands a lot of focus and analytical thinking, which I find really rewarding. It wasn’t necessarily a "winding" path, but I’ve learned that a professional career is just one part of a person’s identity.

Outside of my 9-to-5, my life is a bit louder. I’ve always been passionate about motorcycles, and that interest has evolved into competitive racing. A major milestone for me was competing in my first round of the Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) at Phillip Island recently. It’s a huge challenge to balance the technical demands of software engineering with the physical and mental intensity of racing at that level. But strangely, they both require the same thing: total precision.

If I could give one piece of advice to students at TKS right now, it would be this: You don’t have to choose between being "practical" and following your passion. I think there’s often a lot of pressure to pick a "right" path and stick to it. My experience has shown me that you can be a dedicated professional during the week and still pursue something completely "wild" on the weekends.

Success isn't just about your job title; it's about building a life where you have the space to do both. Don’t be afraid to have interests that don’t "fit" together on paper - those are usually the things that make your journey the most interesting!

It is our absolute pleasure to host our first Alumni Careers & Connections Evening in May, welcoming all alumni back to TKS.
Join us for an evening of conversation, connection and celebration with fellow TKS alumni.

This informal networking event is an opportunity to reconnect with the school, meet alumni from across different year levels and industries, and expand your professional and personal networks.
Whether you graduated recently or many years ago, we look forward to welcoming you for a relaxed evening of conversation and shared experiences.

Guests will enjoy light refreshments, community connection and the opportunity to network with other alumni within your industry.

BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL https://www.trybooking.com/DKKDQ

Alumni Spotlight: David Glasgow, Class of 2002

I graduated from The Knox School in 2002 and have very fond memories of my time there. I was heavily involved in the school: various sports, debating, public speaking, concert band, musicals. I remember it being a supportive and nurturing environment where I was encouraged to think big and given many opportunities to discover my strengths.

In part because I enjoyed debating, public speaking, and studying the humanities in school (including philosophy and legal studies), after graduation I completed a combined Arts/Law degree at the University of Melbourne. I then worked for a few years as a lawyer at large law firms in the city (focusing on employment and anti-discrimination law) before I moved to the United States to complete a Master of Laws (LLM) degree at NYU School of Law.

I ended up staying in the US and have been here for nearly 13 years, where I now work as the executive director of a research centre at NYU Law called the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. This has been a wonderful way to deepen the research and writing skills that I first developed at Knox, and has afforded me the opportunity to write two books with the centre’s faculty director, Kenji Yoshino: Say the Right Thing: How to Talk About Identity, Diversity, and Justice (released in 2023), and How Equality Wins: A New Vision for an Inclusive America (released in 2026).

I also have an American husband, Andrew, and two sons in primary school, Hugo and Theodore.

If I were to offer advice to current students, I would say three things.

First, get involved in as many activities as you can to discover your talents and passions, whether it’s different sports, musical instruments, performing arts, debating, or anything else. School is a time to get out of your comfort zone and experiment.

Second, have a rough plan of where you’d like to go after you graduate so that you have a sense of direction, but remain open to unexpected possibilities. In high school I wanted to become a high school teacher or philosophy professor, but ended up a lawyer. I thought I’d spend my whole life in Melbourne but ended up in the United States. I didn’t even study anti-discrimination law in my law degree but ended up specialising in that area. I rarely meet any middle-aged adult who is doing exactly what they expected to be doing when they were in high school.

Third, think broadly about what your time at school can teach you. If you think of school as just giving you a set of technical skills for a career, you’ll miss what I’ve found to be vastly more important, which is capabilities that you can apply across your whole life: a love of learning, critical thinking skills, empathy, curiosity, respect for diversity, the ability to be an active and engaged citizen. Learning how to think has, for me, been more fundamental than the contents of any specific subject I’ve studied.