This month, we sat down with Year 11 Boarder, Isabelle, to find out a little bit about where she calls home, what she loves most about boarding and what she’s enjoying about her new role as a Lighthouse Administration Assistant.
Tell us about your family and where you’re from.
I come from Merredin, which is a three-hour drive east of Perth and about half-way to Kalgoorlie. My family have been farming canola, barley, wheat and lupin in Merredin for about 100 years and my great-grandparents, grandparents and my parents all still live there. I’ve got two younger brothers – one is in Year 9 at Scotch and the youngest is in Year 6 in Merredin.
Do you like to help out on the farm when you go home?
Sometimes. Because I can drive, I do a lot of shifting around – moving Dad from A to B. If harvest hasn’t finished when I go home after Term 4, I’ll drive the chaser.
…what’s the chaser?
The chaser bin – it follows the header and collects the grain!
What’s the best thing about boarding at PLC?
I think it’s the opportunities you get and the friendships you make – they can literally change your life. The support network we have as boarders – with the housies and all of the staff and the opportunities we get – it’s incredible. We’re just like one really big family, it’s so lovely. I’m really lucky.
What do you what do you miss about home?
I miss the open spaces and the freedom of being able to just go for a run, or go see the horses, or go for a drive. Of course I also miss my family a lot, but my Mum is often up here with work, so I do get to see her quite a bit – I’m actually seeing her after my shift finishes tonight!
How do you look after your wellbeing?
I make sure I take time to relax and unwind. I like to run – it’s a great way to just switch off and forget about the things that are worrying me or stressing me out. I also like to spend time with my friends – being around people is really important for me.
Why did you apply for the role as Lighthouse Assistant?
I really wanted this opportunity because I thought it would be a good chance to broaden my life experience.
This job has already given me so much back. I applied for the role not thinking that I was going to get it – I just thought it would be good to put together a resume and go through the interview process – even just that was so beneficial, and then when I actually got the job it was a really nice surprise and I’ve loved it so far.
What have you learnt so far in the role?
I think I’ve learned that I probably want to go down a career of working with people. Working at the front desk and with the little girls has really helped my communication skills and interpersonal skills. I’ve also been put in situations where I haven’t known what to do and I’ve needed to think on the go to come up with a solution – and I think skills like that are really important to have.
