The end of school brings excitement, uncertainty and possibility in equal measure. For many students, it is also the moment when important decisions about the future begin to take shape.
Some have mapped out every step. Others change their minds weekly. Many are simply hoping that somewhere along the way, they will discover what they are good at and where they belong.
For Lesley Lannen, helping young people navigate that uncertainty has become one of the most rewarding parts of a career spanning more than three decades.
As Careers Practitioner at St Brigid’s College, Horsham, Lesley spends her days helping students explore possibilities, ask questions and make decisions about the future. Rather than pointing students in a particular direction, she sees her role as helping them recognise their strengths and make informed choices about the paths ahead.
Looking beyond the destination
Over the course of 30 years in education, Lesley has taught everything from Food Technology and Textiles to Science, Humanities and vocational learning programs.
The variety has taught her an important lesson.
There is no single definition of success.
Every student brings different strengths, interests and aspirations. The challenge is helping them recognise those qualities in themselves.
“Wanting to make a difference inspired me to become a teacher,” Lesley said.
Thirty years later, that motivation remains unchanged.
The conversations that matter
For Lesley, careers education is rarely about resumes, applications or subject selections.
It begins with conversations.
Conversations about interests, talents, hopes and goals.
Conversations that help students understand that there are many pathways available to them and that no two journeys need to look the same.
“It has been an honour to assist and guide students in making pathway choices that are best for them,” she said.
Through partnerships with employers, training providers, universities and community organisations, Lesley has helped students discover opportunities they may never have considered.
For some, that leads to university. For others, apprenticeships, traineeships or employment.
What matters most is that the pathway belongs to the student.
Seeing the results years later
One of the advantages of working in a regional community is the opportunity to see what happens next.
Former students become nurses, tradespeople, business owners, health professionals, parents and community leaders.
Some stay local. Others leave before eventually returning home.
For Lesley, there is something special about meeting former students years later and hearing about the lives they have built.
“Living in a close-knit rural area, it is great to see so many of my past students thriving in the various pathways they have chosen,” she said.
Those encounters are reminders that the conversations held at school can echo long into the future.
Teaching with kindness
Ask Lesley what guides her approach to teaching and the answer is straightforward.
Kindness.
Her faith shapes the way she works with students and colleagues, encouraging her to lead with respect, humility and compassion.
She strives to create learning environments where students feel safe, included and supported to be themselves.
“My classrooms are inclusive and safe places for learning,” she said.
More than preparing students for work
For Lesley, education has always been about more than preparing young people for employment.
It is about helping them understand who they are, recognise their strengths and discover the opportunities available to them.
One of the things she values most about Catholic education is the opportunity to support both academic growth and personal development.
“Catholic education provides faith, community, stability and a sense of purpose,” she said.
In a world where young people face an ever-expanding range of choices and possibilities, she believes those foundations matter more than ever.
After 30 years in education, Lesley knows that careers rarely follow a perfectly straight path. Her own journey, from classroom teacher to careers practitioner, is proof of that.
What she hopes students leave with is not a rigid plan for the future, but the confidence to embrace opportunities, navigate change and trust in their ability to succeed.
Because while pathways may differ, every young person deserves someone who believes in their potential. For thousands of students over the past three decades, Lesley has been exactly that person.