Strengthening connections across our community
One of the greatest privileges of being involved with the OCC is getting to know more Old Collegians and hearing about what matters to them.
Throughout this year, I have enjoyed meeting Old Collegians at reunions across different year groups, Silver Circle Reunion, OCC events and in conversations in between. Each encounter adds to my understanding of who our Old Collegians are today, what they are doing, and how the OCC can remain relevant and useful in life beyond MLC.
The Val Kerr Fellowship Grant is one part of the year that brings me particular pride. This year, I am delighted to congratulate Amelia Rhodes (2007) and Hayley Smithers-Sheedy (1990) as our 2026 Fellowship recipients. The Fellowship gives the OCC an opportunity to support Old Collegians who are using their ideas and experience to create a meaningful impact in the wider community, and we will share more about Amelia’s and Hayley’s work in the months ahead.
We are also delighted to welcome Yolanda Finch (1995) to Celebration Evening. Yolanda’s career has taken her through fashion, events and museums, and I am looking forward to hearing more about the experiences and relationships that have shaped her journey since MLC.
For more than 120 years, the OCC has been a community led by Old Collegians, bringing generations of MLC graduates together. We value the support of MLC in helping us continue this work. At the heart of the OCC are the relationships between Old Collegians and the opportunities we create to come together, support one another, share ideas and stay involved.
Part of that means getting to know our members better. What are you doing now? What matters to you? What would make the OCC more useful or relevant to you? Sometimes involvement begins by attending an event. At other times, it may be sharing an idea, experience, expertise or connection that could help shape something new.
Most importantly, the OCC is only a message away and would love to hear from you.
If there is something you would like us to do, someone you think we should know, or you simply want to say hello, please get in touch. Reach out through our OCC social media channels, come and say hello at an event, or send an email to occ@mlc.vic.edu.au.
The MLC connection does not end when you leave school. The better we know and understand our members, the better we can support Old Collegians and build what comes next.
Sarah Mote (2007)
President, MLC Old Collegians’ Club