Alumni Profiles
Peter Koolik
Graduate 1972
I was born in Sydney to an immigrant Russian family. My mother was probably quite disappointed to realise that academic achievements were not a high priority for me during my Strathfield high school years (1967 to 1972). In fact some of my former classmates would probably classify me as the class hooligan, as I was a regular visitor to the principal’s office. At the time, my love of playing “touch footy” was one of the primary benefits of attending school. Looking back, I was a typical teenager who pushed the boundaries whenever I could.
I believe that going to Strathfield High School really grounded me as a person, particularly in my faith. While this may not have seemed clear at the time, the values that were taught remained with me.
I can also say that my closest friends today are those I made at high school. In fact, a huge part of the personal happiness I have today is a direct result of meeting, and eventually marrying, my wife; a fellow student.
After leaving Strathfield in 1972, I took on a carpentry apprenticeship, which I really enjoyed. I started building houses on the NSW Central Coast and in 1984 our family moved to Brisbane where I continued developing home units. The Lord really blessed our development business.
In 1992, together with my wife and three young children, we volunteered to go to Moscow for three years, where I directed the development program for the Euro Asia Division. The Iron Curtain had just fallen and the opportunities for the Adventist church were immense. During this time our department was able to employ hundreds of construction workers to build the church’s headquarters in Moscow, and facilitate over 400 church buildings throughout the former Soviet Union. Over the past 15 years, I have commuted to Moscow more than 60 times to continue directing the development program there.
The older I get, the more I see how clearly God leads, when we allow Him to. I have come to realise that there is nothing as rewarding as serving God and I praise Him for the opportunities He has provided for me to make a difference and for His abundant blessings in our lives.
Kylie French
Coming from a small primary school, I found Sydney Adventist College very daunting on my first day in Year 7. However, the great peer support program enabled me to start well. Within the first two classes I made friends who remained with me the whole way through to Year 12.
There were so many events that made my time at Sydney Adventist College memorable: chapels, carnivals, excursions, the Year 10 Safari, formals and great sporting options. I learnt to sail under the Sydney Harbour Bridge during sport one semester. These experiences and memories have a life-long impact.
I have been working as the Head of Primary in an Adventist school and am now moving to teach on the central coast. I believe that the influence of my teachers helped me to decide on my chosen career: the Geography teachers who were so passionate about their subjects, the English teachers who always pushed us to do better, the Maths teachers who managed to put up with twenty-five students who really did not want to know what the value of "x" was - and so many others. Each one of them invested a huge effort to see me succeed. I now use them as inspiration in my own teaching.
David Blanche
Graduate 1962
It was called Strathfield Adventist High School back then. Dr Lionel Turner, Dr Milton Krause and the principal, Mr Bill Veitch, are names that still bring vivid memories. Dr Turner, who was almost blind, taught us the intricacies of the English language, Dr Krause taught us economics and Mr Veitch taught us history, while Mrs Gane made us aware of the importance of proper behaviour, manners and dress.
In those days I lived in Wahroonga so I rode my push bike to Wahroonga railway station, then caught the train to Hornsby in order to catch the Silver Express to Strathfield, Finally, I walked up Albert Road to the school. During the four years at ‘Strathfield’ I made many friends whom I have since met all around the world. I am very thankful for the vision of what I could become through hard work, discipline and determined application to the study program.
I belonged to Butler house which, as I remember, usually won the shield! Fraser house gave us the strongest competition. Steve Anderson was our house captain in my last year in 1962 and he was our hero, especially in sporting events.
Did ‘Strathfield’ make a difference? SURE DID! The education I received and the life-style I learned to value prepared me for Avondale College, and then for a very rich and rewarding life of almost forty years as a minister. It is certainly worth learning and living this special kind of life in today’s world.
Peter Kilgour
Graduate 1974
'I graduated from Sydney Adventist College in 1974 along with a group of excellent friends, many of whom I still see regularly. My six years at SAC were very happy ones where I learnt to love learning - in fact I enjoyed school so much that I decided to become a teacher. I studied for four years at Macquarie University and then went on to teach for 25 years in four different countries and 6 different schools. While teaching I spent an additional 15 years of part-time tertiary study culminating in a Doctor of Mathematics Education.
Currently I work as the Executive Director of Education for the Sydney Adventist Schools and also for four country schools in South New South Wales. It is good to play a small part in the administration of Sydney Adventist College now and I have many good memories to fill my imagination every time I walk into the SAC quadrangle.
A love of learning is still being caught by students at SAC and I am more sure than ever that God places students at SAC to have the same life-changing experiences that I had.
Bjorn Schott
Graduate 1999
I started my schooling at Auburn Adventist primary school, my parents probably didn’t realise at the time what an impact that would have in my life. Spending all my primary years there I made true, life-long friends who were a big part of my life then and continue to be now, something that I will always be grateful for. In Year 5 I had the most wonderful teacher called Miss Radford, she is someone that always nurtured my creative side and made Year 5 the most unforgettable year of my whole school experience. Her belief in my comedic skill at the time really helped to build confidence which set me up to succeed in high school.
Looking back at my time at SAC from 1994-1999 I can safely say I left there with much more than general academic knowledge; I graduated with a strong foundation for surviving in the real world. There were many people who helped me in this regard but some definitely made a strong impact in my life. Mrs. Faull, my English teacher in my senior years, was most encouraging in my vivid storytelling, which I have always had a penchant for. I would have given up on photography if it had not been for my teacher, Mr. Heise. He encouraged me and displayed an unbelievable amount of patience, and it was this that enabled me to find my passion and pursue a career in this field. I would have to say that Dr. Faull, my principal whilst at SAC had a significant impact on who I am today. I had the privilege of being School Captain and learned many valuable leadership skills demonstrated by the school principal. I learnt from him that everything is possible through perseverance and faith in God, a lesson that has carried me across the world and back many times. Auburn Adventist School & Sydney Adventist College provided me with the academic foundation for work in the Insurance industry and as a photographer, but more importantly it provided a value based education for a successful Christian life. For me, it’s that which made the difference.
Jason Lam
I gained so much from my six years at Sydney Adventist College.
The intimate learning environments and small staff to student ratios facilitated quality teaching and learning. Looking back, I realise that a close community where everyone knows everyone, created a happy learning environment.
Aside from the academic curriculum, chapel and worship times taught me a lot. I found extra-curricular activities, such as mock trials, sporting events and the occasional school fundraiser very rewarding and enriching.
I’m currently undertaking a double degree in Business and Computing at the University of Technology, Sydney, and I believe the educational experience I received at Sydney Adventist helped me achieved my goal.
Graciela Martinez
It has been more than 11 years since I left Sydney Adventist College and the best memories I have are the friends I made at school who are now life-long friends. I will always remember our lunchtimes, sharing our food and having a laugh. Despite my busy schedule, I still keep in contact with my school friends from Sydney Adventist College.
I am now a registered nurse at Sydney Adventist Hospital. I thank Sydney Adventist College for instilling in me values such as loyalty, respect for others and commitment, as these are essential attributes for my current profession.
Stephanie Lorens
Graduate 2000
My greatest memories of my time at SAC are Mrs. Craig's French classes and Mr. Heise's Photography classes. I had an awesome team of teachers and circle of friends. After graduating from Year 12, I had the opportunity to work as the Principal's Secretary and Receptionist at SAC for three years. I continued my work for the Adventist church at the Greater Sydney Conference office as the Departmental Assistant for Children's Ministry, Communication and Adventist Health. I continue to keep contact with a few of my classmates from SAC.
My time at SAC helped me grow in my relationship with God and impacted my decision to commit my life to Him. As I look back on my days at high school I am recall the strong core values of the College modeled and taught, and the support the teachers gave us in the areas of faith building as well as academics. Week of Spiritual Emphasis was always a great highlight and spiritually renewing and it helped my non-Christian friends to get a clearer vision of God and Christianity.