Maria Hegerty

60 Seconds: Maria Hegerty

Maria Hegerty, Executive Manager, Office of Student Success, Canberra Campus.

How would you spend your ideal day?

With my dogs in a park, okay, a day spa in Tuscany sounds good too!

In life I have learnt…

Maintain perspective, enjoy the small things, assume good intentions.

Something that inspires me…

Enthusiasm, positivism, energy, laughter and commitment. 

What would surprise people most about your job?

The enormity. Being concerned about approximately 17 000 students and their success is BIG!

What has been the most significant development in your field since starting your career?

'Smart boards' in classrooms, the most significant shift in teaching and learning since the Industrial Revolution! (This is) a big statement, I cant think of one other initiative, invention or theory that has shifted teaching practice, in such a relatively short period of time.

If you could invite any five people to dinner, who would they be (and why)?

Ummmmmm, Paul Keating - he's smart, opinionated and funny (I taught some of his children and yes, he came for the parent/teacher interview); Malcolm Turnbull- just to watch his interaction with Paul, and for diversity of world views; ABBA to entertain us and ask what they really thought about Mamma Mia; Jimmy Barnes, he could jam with ABBA; and, Tom Calma - just to have a chat about his life and the future he sees for his people.