After graduating from MacKillop in 1985, I pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree at Adelaide University, setting the foundation for an incredible journey that would take me across industries and continents shaping my perspective and fuelling my passion for adventure and my curiosity about people and the world.

By the age of 23, I had become the youngest female Executive Officer in the Australian fishing industry, serving with the SA Fishing Industry Training Council. In a few short years, I helped to establish the first fishing industry training centre in Australia - the SA Fishing Industry Skills Centre - which would later evolve into the Australian Fisheries Academy, based in Port Adelaide.

From there, I went on to work in senior communications and PR roles within private industry and government, but eventually decided to make a total career change in my late 30s and become a documentary filmmaker. One of the first documentaries that inspired me was "Roses in September," which I watched during a Year 12 Retreat.

Years later, I had the privilege of rekindling my friendship with Tim Deslandes, the Religious Coordinator who introduced me to "Roses in September" during our Year 12 Retreat, and spending precious moments over coffee, breakfasts and dinners with him, his wife Moira, and some of my closest friends from Mary MacKillop before he passed away, a testament to the profound impact he had on my life.

In 2008, I founded Think Films, a production company committed to creating impactful films and documentaries. My debut feature, "Tibet's Cry for Freedom," which I directed, produced, and distributed, was picked up by Czech Television and TV NZ and screened in over 14 international film festivals.

Over the years, I have worked on a variety of projects in remote locations around the world, including Tibet, India, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and the Pacific Islands, for organizations such as UNDP, the World Bank, and Relief International. In 2018, my short film "Little Bang's New Eye," which delved into the work of 2020 Australian of the Year, Dr. James Muecke, and Adelaide-based NGO Sight For All, was broadcast on SBS and won several international documentary awards.

My other productions include "A Place to Call Home," a film that tells the story of Emmaus Community in Perth, which provides long-term community housing for adults with complex mental illness. It was acquired by ABC's Compass and ran on ABC and ABC iView from 2020-2022. In 2021, I released my interactive multimedia documentary, "Banjo Morton: The Untold Story," which highlights the story of the first walk-off by Aboriginal stockmen in the Northern Territory. The project began with my visit to Banjo on his country in central Australia back in 2010.

Throughout my career, I have been driven by purpose, and I owe much of my success to the exceptional education and supportive environment that Mary MacKillop College provided. The school offered me extraordinary teachers who left a lasting impression on my heart, as well as opportunities to explore my creativity through roles in school plays, drama productions, and prefectship. To this day, I maintain strong friendships with friends I made at Mary MacKillop, and the school's impact on my life has been immeasurable.

Lara Damiani
Class of 1985