Alumni Spotlight: Katie Thiveos
It has been 30 years since I graduated from Servite College. My journey with Servite has been unique. From going on camps and retreats, to learning about Social Sciences, to sitting in the Amphitheatre, to walking the halls of the Shanahan Building first as a student and later as a teacher, it has been a full-circle experience filled with growth, gratitude, and wonderful memories.
I began my journey at Servite as a Year 8 student in 1991, part of the first cohort to join Senario Priory and a proud member of Senario 6. Some of my fondest memories are the St Philip’s and St Juliana’s Day festivities, when the whole school came together in celebration and community. I also recall learning about the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order, though it wasn’t until I visited Florence a decade later that it truly came to life for me. When I told a tour guide that I was a Servite, she simply said, “Welcome home.” In that moment, I felt I was part of something far greater, a rich, nearly 800-year tradition. I warmly remember the many camps and retreats over the years, especially the Year 11 Retreat to New Norcia with Laurie Mayne. As a senior school student, I enjoyed Religious Education classes with Richard Charlwood and Rosa Speranza, and Human Biology with Rose McAuliffe. Those experiences provided meaningful moments of reflection that have stayed with me ever since.
Throughout high school. Social Studies, known today as Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS), was always my favourite subject because it encouraged me to explore, discover, engage with, and make sense of the world around me. I loved every aspect of Social Students: the topics, projects, and discussions. Most of all, I was motivated and inspired by my Social Studies and Economics teachers, Maria Stratos, whose passion for the subject left a lasting impression. I was fortunate to have her as my teacher every year of high school.
Given my positive experiences in Social Studies and after graduating from Servite in 1995, I was drawn to a career in teaching. I subsequently enrolled at Edith Cowan University (ECU) in a Bachelor of Education, majoring in Social Sciences, with a strong desire to instil the same passion for the subject in my future students. As a successful undergraduate, I was invited to participate in an Honours research project investigating lower secondary students’ attitudes towards Social Studies and the factors influencing those attitudes at a secondary school. With my first empirical research experience completed and the insights gained from the project, I began my professional career teaching at various Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA) schools, including Corpus Christi College and Santa Maria College, before joining Servite College in 2009, where I taught until 2021. While teaching at Servite, I seconded to Aranmore Catholic College for a short period.
During my time as a teacher at Servite, I was privileged to work alongside amazing support staff and educators, particularly Angie DiMarco, Katie Mansfield, Jane Humble, Anne Lee, Rose McAuliffe, Jill Melbourne, Bruce Wilkins and Patti Howells, who had once been my own teachers when I was in high school. Collaborating with them was both inspiring and humbling, as I was able to witness firsthand the dedication, passion, and guidance that had shaped my own journey. Their example continued to influence me, making my time at Servite as a teacher deeply rewarding and meaningful.
Likewise, I was fortunate to teach many wonderful students, and I hope my work as an educator has helped Servite students grow into critical thinkers, researchers, problem-solvers, collaborators, innovators, creators, entrepreneurs, decision-makers, lifelong learners, and active, informed global citizens of the 21st century.
One particularly memorable HASS lesson took place when my Year 7 students were studying History and learning about the difference between primary and secondary sources. To coincide with the College’s 60th anniversary celebrations, I wore my old school uniform and brought my original school bag to class, filled with items such as my school reports, newsletters, photos, ball tickets, Mass booklets, textbooks, and yearbooks. Using these authentic artefacts, students conducted a historical inquiry to uncover what my experience of school life was like in the early 1990s.
In line with the charism of Community, having once been a student in Senario Priory and proudly wearing the black shirt, I was later privileged to return as the Homeroom Teacher for Senario 6. In the spirit of Service, I valued opportunities to help establish Christian Service-Learning initiatives, attend camps and retreats, and participate in both domestic and overseas study and service tours. A trip to India in 2012 remains a particular highlight of my time at Servite, where I witnessed firsthand the inspiring work of the Servite Sisters in Tamil Nadu and had the special opportunity to visit Sr. Nervisa.
In 2020, I completed a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at ECU, in which my research explored the dimensions of teaching and student learning in HASS across three secondary schools. Since 2022, I have been employed as an Academic in the School of Education at ECU. I currently serve as a Lecturer and the HASS Education (Secondary) Coordinator, overseeing the teaching and learning activities related to secondary HASS education in both Initial Teacher Education (ITE) and postgraduate programs. In this role, I support pre-service HASS teachers in developing the knowledge, skills, values, and worldviews necessary to educate and empower future generations to become informed and active global citizens. Notably, I have also had the pleasure of teaching ex-Servite students who have chosen to become HASS teachers themselves, allowing me to reconnect with Servite alumni in a meaningful way.
Additionally, I am also the Quality Teaching Performance Assessment (QTPA) Discipline (Secondary) Coordinator and the Scholar-in-Residence (SiR) Program Coordinator, supporting broader academic initiatives across the School of Education. I also maintain a connection with a HASS department in a metropolitan secondary school to ensure my professional currency and to contribute my expertise in ways that benefit students, teachers, and the wider school community.
From 2023–2024, I participated in Homeward Bound Projects, a global transformational leadership initiative for women and non-binary people with STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths, and Medicine) backgrounds, which included a three-week expedition to the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and Antarctica. I feel privileged to have journeyed and collaborated with over 100 experts, advocates, and leaders from diverse backgrounds, all working toward a more fair, just, and sustainable world.
The trip to Antarctica was extraordinary, but Antarctica is an extraordinary teacher. It revealed its landscapes, wildlife, polar ice, and climate, as well as the importance of international cooperation and efforts in scientific research and tourism. The experience equipped me to share these environmental and climate challenges with pre-service teachers, who can inspire and equip future generations to take meaningful action.
We’ve all heard the saying, “Once a Servite, always a Servite,” as it is spoken so frequently within the Servite community and passed down through generations. After spending many years here as both a student and a teacher, I’ve come to truly understand its meaning. The experiences, lessons, and connections I’ve gained at Servite have become a lasting part of who I am.
