Earlier this month, a Notre Dame College staff member celebrated 40 years of working for the school with a morning tea alongside friends, family and colleagues.
Since December 1, 1983, Maree Geisler has been a key part of the Notre Dame admin staff, being employed in a range of roles, including finance, enrolment officer and accounts payable.
Bringing it back to the start, however, Maree said her role was only meant to be temporary.
“When the amalgamation happened, I was looking for a job, and so I wrote in asking if they had any jobs going with all the changes,” she said.
“I got a phone call one day from the finance manager at the time, and he said, ‘Look, we haven’t got any full-time work going, but I’ve got three weeks’ worth of work doing enrolment’.
“I thought, well, three weeks’ work is three weeks’ work but after three weeks, they realised it was such a big job, so they offered me six months and then six months became 40 years.”
Her time, however, is not only spent behind a desk; she also lends her talents to the Year 10 Ball held by the school.
“The ball happens once a year, and it’s around 300 students that I teach how to dance,” Maree said.
“That’s a big night for them, and I enjoy teaching them how to dance and love being with the kids.
“Because I’m in finance, I don’t get to, you know, see the kids that often, so I just love it — it makes life really enjoyable.”
Maree has been an observer of change and development, including five principals and three business managers.
“I’ve definitely noticed an increase in enrolment, I think there’s a lot more than double the students since when I started and double the staff,” she said.
“Also, a lot of the buildings that were here when I first started have been knocked down and replacements built.”
Although the students have come and gone and buildings changed alongside them, Maree has found that her connections with other staff members have remained strong.
“I’ve worked with a lot of great people, and it’s just the people that you’ve worked with, so they sort of become like a family,” she said.
“I’ve been here 40 years, and there’s not that many originals. I think there’s only two people that are originals that started here with me.”
On the day of Maree’s 40-year anniversary, Friday, December 1, friends, family and co-workers gathered to celebrate her contribution to the school and look back on her career thus far, and she wanted to thank them for being there.
“I work with a great, great group of people, they’re very supportive, and they’ve seen me through good times and bad, you know, there’s been a lot of that over 40 years,” she said.
“It’s generally a supportive network, and you may not know everyone, but what you do know is that they’re there if you need help with anything, and you’ve just got to ask.”
Maree’s future shapes to be much like her past; she will enjoy her career both in the office and dancing with ball participants.
“I want to work a few more years, but I haven’t got specific future plans,” she said.
“I just want to keep doing what I’m doing and keep working in finance and just keep doing the Year 10 balls and debs.”