We are proud to announce this year’s recipient is Mairead Hegerty, Class of 2018!
The Dr Lee-Anne Perry AM Leadership and Service Award provides a recent past pupil (10 years or less since graduation) with $5,000 to develop their leadership, service, personal skills and abilities through a Mercy values-based project or initiative.
From left to right: Mrs Catherine O'Kane, Miss Mairead Hegerty, Ms Tron Fisher and Dr Lee-Anne Perry AM.
Meet Mairead Hegarty
Mairead, who graduated with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy in 2022 and is currently a third-year Doctor of Medicine student at Griffith University, plans to use her prize to develop her leadership skills in healthcare advocacy and build community awareness and support for individuals with brain injuries. Her impressive three-part initiative includes:
• Engaging in further education in neurorehabilitation
• Implementing a brain injury education campaign in Queensland hospitals and universities
• Establishing a community support group for people with brain injuries and their families on the Sunshine Coast
Congratulations, Mairead – we look forward to hearing about the progress of your inspiring project throughout the coming year!
About the Award
The Dr Lee-Anne Perry AM Leadership and Service Award offers a $5,000 grant to a past pupil of All Hallows’ School who graduated within the last ten years. The Award supports participation in a justice-related project or social enterprise, or involvement in an immersion, study tour, or training program that enhances personal and professional leadership development.
Established in 2016 by the Parents & Friends Association and Mothers’ Network to honour Dr Perry’s sixteen years of dedicated leadership as Principal, the Award has been generously funded by the All Hallows’ Past Pupils’ Association since 2023. It continues to empower young women committed to making a meaningful impact in their communities.
Eligible applicants must have actively participated in the Mercy Action Program during their time at All Hallows’ and maintained ongoing involvement in social justice initiatives since graduation.
Our previous recipients
Previous award winners have used their funds to participate in a broad range of initiatives designed to make a difference, especially in the lives of minorities and the marginalised. The Award has provided our recipients with an enormous opportunity for personal and professional growth, which can be life-changing and career-defining.
2024: Ava Allen (Class of 2022) is working towards a more equitable future for Queenslanders disadvantaged by geography and systemic oppression by using her Award funds to empower children and adolescents in remote and regional areas through health and education.
2023: Solene Hegarty-Cremer (Class of 2014) created an interactive web app that will make STEM subjects accessible and engaging for disadvantaged youth who do not have access to scientific learning and are subsequently underrepresented in these industries.
2022: Michelle Hamilton (Class of 2018) aimed to address the disparity in health outcomes in rural areas, particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. However, when a broken leg delayed her initial project, she undertook an overseas medical placement in a remote rural area.
2021: Ella Proberts (Class of 2019), with Imogen Ryan-Kerr created ‘Press’, a curated online newspaper that aims to provide genuine transparency, equity and unbiased presentation of news and information in a world where truth is often a casualty.
2020: Lileana Colarelli (Class of 2018) travelled to a village in the Filipino province of Cebu to teach children experiencing malnutrition and poverty. This experience inspired her to advocate and raise funds for further projects.
2019: Emily Morisaki (Class of 2016) original project could not proceed due to COVID, so as an Occupational Therapy student, she used her funds to support individuals with special needs, including a client who competed in gymnastics at the Special Olympics.
2018: Georgia Hurst (Class of 2016) volunteered at 180 Degrees Consulting, which provides vital services to develop and improve social impact organisations. Her Award enabled her to undertake relevant project management training.
2017: Rory McGahan (Class of 2014) co-founded The Unknown Project, a social enterprise providing access to education and learning opportunities for children from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds.
2016: Dr Lily Aboud (Class of 2014) travelled to Goa, India, to work in a shelter for women in distress, and this inspired her as a medical doctor to continue to serve the community by providing equitable and non-discriminatory healthcare.
For further information
Dean of Mission DeanofMission@ahs.qld.edu.au
Past Pupils’ Liaison at ppa@ahs.qld.edu.au
