Catherine Heiner

This is to recognise Catherine Heiner’s contribution to education on the occasion of her retirement from teaching in December 2019. From very early in her career, Catherine has instilled in her students, and in the curriculum, concepts of community and social justice. Her active membership of Soroptimist International has meant that, to Catherine, these are not just educational constructs. They are the principles by which she has lived her personal as well as her professional life. She first connected both herself and her students with Indigenous Elders from the earliest time in her career at Mitchell State High School. She has consequently developed numerous units and assignments promoting a greater understanding of indigenous history and issues in every school she taught at. She has also raised awareness within the Soroptimists and the wider community of how history still impacts today.

Catherine may have left the classroom setting and will be missed by both staff and students, but she will continue to Educate, Empower and Enable women and girls, both locally and globally, through her continued contribution to Soroptimist projects and programmes.

The picture is of Catherine at the Soroptimist Convention in Brisbane in 2006 with the Mongolian Soroptimists she hosted – Tog-Sun, Dolgarmaa (Dolly) and Batdulan.

Soroptimist International of Bayside have made this donation #inhername