Transitioning to Ivanhoe Girls’ in Year 5 with dyslexia and learning challenges was extremely daunting, and something I absolutely did not want to do. However, by the end of Year 12, I had made lifelong friends, an ATAR I was proud of, and the confidence and courage to take on any challenge.

My fondest memories include time spent in the newly renovated ‘Hillsley’, where most of my time was spent mastering my photography skills. Being a part of the Ski Team from Year 6, I am still very familiar with Mrs Stagg’s training regime to help us be the best of the best, training 3 times a week followed by weekends and school holidays at Mt Buller. The girls I did the ski team with will always hold a special place in my heart; you cannot break a bond that’s built on sporting competitiveness and competitions wearing matching Lycra! I recently saw a picture of the 2023 Ski Team, proudly wearing their Lycra - it’s nice to see some things never change.

When I completed VCE I changed my mind about what career pathway I would follow about 10 times! I eventually commenced a Bachelor of Arts. I quickly discovered this was not for me, and went onto study my passion for Photography. I had always wanted to be a photojournalist, travelling the world and documenting history. But I was impatient. I wanted a career straight away, so I enrolled into a Bachelor of Nursing and never looked back.

My career pathway as a nurse has been a challenging one. Specialising in neonatal nursing, I accidentally fell into a journey of continuous learning, obtaining a Post Graduate Certificate in Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing and subsequently a Master of Advanced Nursing Practice and a Master of Health Administration. Today, as a Nurse Unit Manager at Mercy Hospital for Women(one of five NICUs in the state) I oversee our Level 6 NICU comprising of 61 beds, managing 230 nursing staff and a large public health ICU budget.

Ivanhoe Girls’ taught me that I could achieve anything by being brave and courageous, and never giving up. 

To this day, courage is a leadership trait I take with me into every role inside and outside work. If I can give any advice, it would be to choose subjects that you enjoy, your ATAR will not always take you to where you are meant to be. Only you can do that with bravery and courage, by being true to yourself, stepping outside the box and always questioning the status quo. Never forget, enjoy yourself!

Jemma Binney (née Lane) (Class of 2004)
Nurse Unit Manager, Neonatal Services at Mercy Hospital for Women