Lessons for life: Julie Wilson Reynolds

As Julie Wilson Reynolds cast her eyes over the selection criteria for the Principal role at St Michael’s Collegiate School in Hobart, she knew it was the perfect opportunity.

"They didn’t just want experience," she tells The CEO Magazine. "They discussed the kind of character traits and qualities they were looking for. And as I read the list, I kept saying, ‘Yes, yes, yes.’ They were looking for me."

There was absolutely no arrogance in her belief that she was right for the role.

"It’s just that women don’t often do that," she notes. "Men are more confident to say they can do everything. Women tend to look at our deficits."

A strong heart

Once she applied, St Michael’s Collegiate quickly agreed with Wilson Reynolds’ assessment. As she began to settle into the role in late 2024, she recognized the Anglican girls’ school possessed a strong heart.

"It’s academically strong," she says. "It’s girls’ education, it’s got experiential learning, it’s about celebrating the person. All schools have a motto or purpose, but Collegiate’s really struck me: ‘To learn bravely, together.’"

Learning has been a constant in Wilson Reynolds’ life. A veteran teacher and principal at schools all over the east coast of Australia, she has devoted her career to furthering the educational outcomes of her students.

"To be leading a school where we’re learning bravely excites me no end," she says. "Because unless you’re taking a risk and challenging yourself, you’re not learning. You’re just absorbing, and that’s not learning."

The fact that the school is bound by a sense of togetherness in that quest for learning was the icing on a very satisfying cake.

Unique environment

And that purpose drives the school’s myriad initiatives, many of which are centered around Collegiate's enviable location in the Tasmanian capital.

"We’re about to launch a strategic planning phase, so working with the board and listening to staff, students, alumni and parents. I want to make sure we’re leveraging all our strengths," Wilson Reynolds says. "And there are so many strengths here. Tasmania is beautiful, and a brilliant place to be learning."

As a boarding school, Collegiate is able to welcome students from around the world to an extraordinary environment. Wilson Reynolds says the school takes full advantage of its location.

"Last weekend, I was on the Huon River rowing with some of our girls. It’s magnificent," she enthuses.

 

Collegiate's experiential learning program is, in Wilson Reynolds’ estimation, among the country’s finest.

"I’ve worked in some of Australia’s top schools, and Collegiate is among the best I've ever seen," she says. "Girls can choose whatever level of challenge they deem fit and actually push themselves mentally and physically. If you’re part of a team, mastering skills both physical and mental, you’re learning well."

A holistic approach

Wilson Reynolds says that holistic education can help students move beyond scores and metrics.

"It shouldn’t be about taking in information and regurgitating it. It has to be about building skills and competencies that are helpful for the future. To me, that’s innovation," she says.

And at Collegiate, innovation begins with the youngest students. As a K–12 school, it’s a lengthy gamut to run, but Wilson Reynolds says there’s a space for everyone to learn at the highest level.

"Our littlest students have our early learning center, which contains opportunities to experience nature and see how the real world works," she says. "For our eldest students, we have a range of subjects much wider than I was used to in other states. The courses are dynamic and interesting; it’s actually difficult for the students to choose."

There’s also Collegiate’s brother school, Hutchins; a strong connection binds the two.

"There’s a lot of talk in the media recently about single-sex schools going co-ed. But I think it’s great that as a girls-only school, we have a really dynamic and authentic connection with a boys’ school," she explains.

"Our girls get the best of both worlds."

The boarding house environment of Collegiate is another place of learning, she adds.

"Students learn so much about being independent, yet being part of a community. They build friendships for life."

According to Wilson Reynolds, Collegiate’s strategic plan is a five-year enterprise.

"This school has a strong history, over 130 years," she says. "It was established by sisters of the church, led by Mother Emily. She was committed to helping the students be their best selves, to find the work in the world that only they can do, whatever that is.

"That’s why when it comes to our strategic plan, we don’t want a mold. We want to create the potential for students to create their own adventure."

Looking to the future

Even in those early days, boldness, bravery, kindness, integrity and compassion were the pillars of Collegiate. Under Wilson Reynolds’s leadership, it will continue so.

"There are so many possibilities to find a sense of purpose, joy and opportunity at St Michael’s Collegiate," she says, citing herself as an example that the school’s power extends beyond students.

"It’s captured me, and it’s inspired girls and women over 130 years. I spoke with two former students recently, the very top two students of their year, and I asked them about their experience at Collegiate."

The girls spoke of the love and joy they’d felt in their learning at the school.

"They both said they’d love to come back and share that with others," she says. "It’s a place to grow and learn. It’s a place to be you."