Maintaing a busy life of study and philanthropy for which she was renowned during her time at Glennie, Glennie Old Girl and Former School Captain Sandra Miller (GOG2021) returned to visit the School earlier this year, reflecting on the enduring qualities developed during her time at Glennie.
Sandra left the legacy of the movement she calls “Sonder” at Glennie. Founded in 2019, Sonder aims to supply stationery items to local primary school children who otherwise could not access them, a cause she has continued to support and one that has become renowned at the School.
It ended with confetti. Six years of education finished in a few seconds. I felt almost empty. For
those six years, Glennie was home, where I had started to discover who I was and how I occupied space.
It’s been two years since the sky was filled with colour and the oval littered with emotions and
Glennie hues, and over those years, I have grown as a person and been exposed to a world
bigger than Glennie and bigger than Toowoomba. Now, I live in the Gold Coast, study Law and
International Relations, have been immersed in the streets of Kyoto, Tokyo and Osaka, and
have published a play. Some may think that all these experiences would result in me forgetting
that terracotta-roofed school on 246a Herries Street in rural Toowoomba. Yet, whenever I have
one of these mind-blowing moments, I am transported right there, surrounded by Panamas and
Agapanthus.
As an old girl, it is only now that I truly appreciate getting educated at Glennie; it’s hard to notice
the beauty and importance of a thing when you are around it all the time. Further, it is easy to
take our education at such a school for granted and forget that, in a way, whether big or small,
that institution laid the foundation for our success, in whatever form. Consequently, these are
three things that Glennie gave me, and they are also the things that keep me visiting The
Glennie School. (I had to make a list short, or we would have been here forever)
As an old girl, it is only now that I truly appreciate getting educated at Glennie; it’s hard to notice the beauty and importance of a thing when you are around it all the time.
sandra miller
- Confidence. Glennie provides a space where female education is imperative. Your voice
is heard. As a Glennie girl, you do not have to fight misogyny or the patriarchy like you
do outside Glennie. Being in a space where girls are valued as individuals and praised
for just being who they are is a commodity in many spaces. Having access to such a
place allowed me to grow confident in my voice and knowledge. Glennie enabled me to
understand that women are not defined by superficialities or concepts that continue to
deprive females. Instead, we can be anything we want and defy expectations. - Camaraderie and sisterhood. When you leave Glennie, you will think that connections
with your female friends are vital. You will be willing to support the success of women
because, ultimately, they represent your success. Returning to Glennie, I noticed
students helping each other with love and grace. In a world that perpetuates the story
that women are to compete with one another, Glennie stands as an anthesis
championing women, cheering on other women. A perfect example of this is how
Glennie students have continued to support SONDER, even after my departure – they
understand that in supporting SONDER, they are supporting education in all of its forms.
This selflessness is an attribute that Glennie imbues in all of their students. - Mentorship. The teachers and friends I had at Glennie continue to inspire me. When I
visit Glennie, I am reminded of how amazing women are. Watching girls perform ‘Waiting
for Godot’, hearing them say that in the future they would like to be lawyers, or telling me
about the goal they saved when playing soccer, all of these moments, no matter how
small, were times when students mentored me. Meeting with Glennie’s teachers made
me appreciate the hours of work and love that they had poured into me. Returning to
Glennie, I understood that the school gave me so much more than I had imagined or
could even pay back.
So whether you are ending your Glennie journey, are in the middle of it, are just beginning, or
have graduated, I hope that one day, even if it is just for a second, you remember Glennie for
what it truly is – a small metropolis that allows you to be all you can be.
