Thank you to Annalee Phillips (Class of 2020) for filling out our Alumni Q & A.

We’d love to hear from you!

Click here to fill out the survey. 

What did you want to do beyond year 12? What are you doing now? 

Before graduating I always wanted to own a business so I could contribute to my community. Now I own a business with my sister and brother-in-law selling wholesale fruit and vegetables to cafe’s, restaurants and supermarkets. Last year we launched Home Delivery so we could service Bendigo with the finest quality fresh produce right to people’s door.

What do you love about the type of work you do now? 

I absolutely love every part of my job! I manage everything from accounts to customer relations, staff and even deliveries. Every day poses something new and I am continually learning. It’s a wonderful environment to be in.

What’s one of your most vivid memories of your time at the college? 

One of my most treasured memories of Bendigo Senior is the friendships I forged. Myself and two friends set aside one lunch time each week to build friendship and discuss life. Year 11 and 12 are years full of wonderful memories, and many learning curves, and I loved being able to sit down with close friends and talk about all that we were journeying through. They are memories I’ll never forget!

Was there a particular teacher or staff member that inspired you?

There’s one name that instantly comes to mind—Anne Marie Burgess. She was a wonderful teacher who was committed to ensuring our class got everything they possibly could out of every lesson. She placed equal value in ensuring her students were doing well, personally. She helped create the best classroom culture I’ve ever been in. My accounting class is the thing I miss most about Bendigo Senior because it was a little community. We had the best of fun and learnt so much together.

Were you involved with any extra-curricular activities?

Outside of school I’m involved in my local church, where I volunteer at Collective Society (the youth movement of Connect Church Bendigo). The people there are like a second family to me.

Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give to your 16-year-old self? 

Try absolutely everything! Want to try for that leadership position? Go for it! You’ll either get it or you won’t—either way it’s no big deal. Any outcome will grow you and prepare you for the next opportunity ahead.