From new beginnings to established careers, where are our alumni now?

Once they leave our school gates, there are endless possibilities for Old Haileyburians to study and build careers across Australia and the world. More than 19,000 Old Haileyburians maintain a strong connection to the School and to the motto: ‘Once a Haileyburian, always a Haileyburian.’

“The majority of our students complete tertiary studies and have a great opportunity to achieve their goals,” says Russell Davidson, Director of Development and Alumni Relations.

In 2023, to support graduates to achieve their goals and dreams, Haileybury introduced the OHA Relocation bursary which assists first year graduates with relocation costs as they take up university offers in Australia and internationally.

More than 40 of last year’s graduates, including from Haileybury Rendall School, received the bursary to help them relocate and begin studies in Melbourne, Perth and the USA. Two students supported by the OHA Relocation Bursary were 2023 Haileybury Boys School Captain, Sam Shinsky, and Michaela Davidson.

Young Old Haileyburians spreading their wings

Sam Shinsky (OH 2023) is currently studying a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance and Banking) at the University of New South Wales.

Sam said that the OHA Relocation Bursary came in very handy for his interstate move. “As I was moving on campus into a college room, the bursary helped me immensely to set up my room with everything I needed to study and live away from home. Everything from stationery to a washing basket!”

Sam has his sights set on further study at the University of Hong Kong (HKU). He hopes to work in investment banking. “I’m hoping to transfer to HKU because Hong Kong is a global finance hub and HKU is globally respected. Living in a fast-paced, busy overseas environment would be a great opportunity,” says Sam.

“I’d like to go into hedge fund management and activist investing. I’m interested in equity and debt markets and would like a career that takes me across the world.”

Sam’s desire to study and work overseas was sparked by a Year 8 Language and Cultural Immersion trip to China.

Sam remains closely connected to Haileybury through his ongoing involvement with the Reconciliation Action Plan committee as an alumni member and contributor.

Another recent graduate, Michaela Davidson (OH 2023), is pursuing study and a career in the Arts, and this has taken her to Perth and the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.

Michaela was in the enviable position of being offered places at a number of performing arts academies, including in New Zealand. However, she chose to follow her passion and study Dance full-time at WAAPA.

During a typical day she has technique classes that deepen her understanding of contemporary dance and ballet and then studies anatomy, fitness, nutrition, politics, cultural perspectives and creative processes.

“I started dancing at the age of six at my local dance studio. Dance became not just a hobby, but a profound form of self-expression and a means to communicate emotions and stories through movement,” says Michaela. “I’ve been inspired by incredible teachers and mentors who have fuelled my passion for dance.”

Michaela was part of the Haileybury Dance program from Year 8 and progressed to the Senior and First teams. “Dancing with my friends within such a close-knit community has been a great source of joy and serving on the leadership team for Dance in 2023 was a true honour,” she says.

Inspiring journeys of Old Haileyburians

Haftu Strintzos (OH 2019) joined Haileybury after receiving a social justice scholarship from the Haileybury Foundation. A talented athlete, after graduating, Haftu studied at Villanova University in the USA and received a full scholarship to study engineering.

“I was House, Cross Country and Athletics captain at Haileybury, and I loved competing against other schools on Saturdays, especially in cross country which helped me achieve national titles as an under-20 athlete. My achievements in running at Haileybury allowed me to receive the scholarship from Villanova.” says Haftu, who was born in Ethiopia and adopted by an Australian family.

While in the USA, Haftu travelled to different states to represent Villanova. Having completed his studies, Haftu is now back in Melbourne with his family and hopes to work for an engineering firm focused on renewable energy. Continuing his love and talent of running, he has represented Australia at international athletics events. We look forward to following Haftu’s athletic journey.

From student leader to ‘brilliant’ educator

Dayna Schinz (OH 2007) joined Haileybury in 2006 and was part of the first intake of senior girls at the School — she was the first Captain of Haileybury Girls College. After graduating, Dayna completed a Science and Education double degree at Monash University and returned to her alma mater as one of Haileybury’s brilliant young teachers.

“Halfway through Year 11 I was at another school and scholarships opened for Haileybury. Joining Haileybury was the best decision I could have made for my schooling and to receive a phone call saying I was the inaugural Girls School Captain was amazing,” says Dayna.

During her degree, Dayna was offered a teaching placement at Haileybury and in townships outside Johannesburg in South Africa.

Dayna is now a teacher and digital learning leader at Haileybury Senior School and Haileybury Pangea. Each day she supports students and her colleagues to explore the intricacies of the emerging digital space and to deepen their understanding of this vital learning tool.

Laying down the Law

Mietta McDonald (OH 2010) commenced in the first cohort of Haileybury girls and has gone on to become a barrister specialising in criminal law — and a footy coach in her spare time. After leaving Haileybury, she studied Arts Law at Monash.

“I also remember we fundraised for different charities and that helped me begin to understand the world outside my bubble and that probably had an impact on my career path. It opened my mind to the varied life experiences that different people have. Many of my clients are the most marginalised and disadvantaged members of our community, so I find value in my work.”

After finishing her degree, Mietta secured an associateship with a judge in the County Court who specialised in crime. She then worked as a solicitor and became a barrister three years ago.

The voice of youth media

Zara McDonald (OH 2012), followed in sister Mietta’s footsteps, joining Haileybury in Middle School. Zara studied journalism and is co-founder of the successful youth media company, Shameless Media. She knew she wanted to be a journalist during her time at Haileybury and after studying at RMIT, Zara was a writer for Mamamia. Outside of her day job, she began the Shameless podcast with co-founder, Michelle Andrews.

“We wanted to have conversations with young women our age about celebrities and pop culture. We taught ourselves how to podcast, edit and produce, and built Shameless without any backing,” says Zara.

“I didn’t have lofty goals when Shameless began. To me, if our podcast got 5,000 downloads per episode that was success, but we now reach over 150,000 people per episode.”

Building Shameless Media has taken a lot of hard work and effort — skills Zara says she learned from her family and Haileybury.

“We were expected to study, play sport and work hard and that helps me today,” she says.

From family healthcare to sporting pathways

Ganesh Naidoo (OH 1995) is Co-founder and CEO of Medmate, a virtual care service company that helps Australians access healthcare when and where they need it. A Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Ganesh’s education journey continued, seeing him study Biomedical Science, majoring in Immunology and Physiology at Monash University, and then a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery at the University of Queensland.

After working as a doctor in a public hospital and as a rural GP, Ganesh opened a medical centre in north Queensland and realised the challenges Australians in remote areas face in accessing healthcare. This inspired Ganesh and Old Haileyburian, Dilip Rao, to launch Medmate.

“When I left Haileybury, in the back of my mind I had confidence that I had the skills to succeed in whatever field I chose,” says Ganesh. His son is now at Haileybury, and his daughter will enrol in the next few years, so he maintains close ties.

Gary Barclay (OH 1984) is Executive General Manager, High Performance Pathways, Coaching and Participation at Swimming Australia. A former swimmer himself, his own swimming experience has supported his coaching journey where he now oversees talented athletes, coaches and performance support staff aiming to join the senior Australian Swim Team.

“The goal is to assist these athletes to perform at a level that gets them onto the Senior Team by improving their performance standards each year,” says Gary.

“After Haileybury I moved to Canberra to train at the newly built Australian Institute of Sport. As a competitive swimmer, I competed nationally and internationally for six years and began a Bachelor of Business in Marketing and Law. I’ve been fortunate to work in sport my whole life and enjoy having an impact on people in a positive way.”

Gary has the greatest appreciation for Haileybury. “I loved the tradition, structure, sport, the staff and my peers. The school provided me with the foundation for a successful future.”

The breadth and depth of opportunities that exist within Haileybury continue to flourish after graduation. Our Old Haileyburians carve out many successful career pathways and then share their experience and expertise to support the next generation of graduates to find their own future. It has been the Haileybury way for generations and we look forward to seeing many more Old Haileyburians sharing their success stories.