St Ursula’s College in Toowoomba has welcomed Tanya Appleby as its new Principal. Mrs Appleby was officially inaugurated during a whole-of-school ceremony with students, staff and dignitaries on Thursday 26 July.

She is the 12th principal to lead the Catholic day and boarding school for girls in its 87-year history and follows Mrs Ann Marie Pawsey who served in the role for 13 years. Mrs Appleby is a highly respected educator with a demonstrated commitment to excellence. In her welcome address to the College, Mrs Appleby revealed her personal and educational vision for students and staff. “I am committed to continuous improvement and progressive education to ensure that you are future-ready,” Mrs Appleby said. “My personal motto is good, better, best. I have high expectations of myself and will expect the same of you. I am committed to the education of women so that you are empowered to lead and contribute to the world with a sense of purpose.”

Mrs Appleby has held leadership roles in well-respected schools including most recently as Acting Principal at Trinity Catholic College in Goulburn and Deputy Principal at Our Lady of Mercy College in Parramatta. She holds a Masters of Education and Masters of Research and is currently completing her Doctorate at the Macquarie University in New South Wales. In 2017, she received a Recognition Award for excellence in building capacity by the Archdiocese of Canberra Goulburn.

Mrs Appleby is passionate about the education of girls and was inspired by the College’s track-record for supporting important social justice causes. “We need to be women who lift others, lead others, include others and love others,” she said. “We need to seize every opportunity, be courageous in the face of adversity, bold enough to take action and strive for excellence.”

During her first term, Mrs Appleby will host 150 Conversations with students, staff and parents to understand the aspirations, desires and needs of the College community.

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