Academically, I was far from a star student. Looking back, I was absolutely ADHD long before anyone recognised what that was. I talked too much, sang too much, disrupted class with boundless energy and kooky ideas — not out of rebellion, just pure enthusiasm. I started high school with virtually no friends, but by the end I had built a core group who are still my closest friends today. Alexandra Secondary College ended up being incredibly social, warm, and full of moments that I now hold so fondly.

What assisted me was that ASC gave me room to explore everything and most importantly allowed me to be myself. I threw myself into sport, later into the school productions, and into every extra opportunity on offer. My parents signed me up for every camp imaginable — Central Australia, Japan, Driver Ed. — and I was part of the ski squad, which eventually led me to becoming a ski instructor for a season. I was involved in everything I could be, and the school always encouraged that.

A huge influence on me was George Nadj. He was one of those once-in-a-lifetime teachers: stern, hilarious, deeply caring, and absolutely committed to steering students in the right direction — especially the underdogs. He trained me during lunch, supported me through sport, dropped me halfway home after skiing to help my mum, and genuinely believed in me. We’re still friends today and I think of him with enormous gratitude. Our Year 8 camp, complete with a theme song he chose for us, remains one of my favourite memories — whenever that song plays, we’re all transported straight back.

There were other teachers who fed my creativity when it could easily have been considered “too much”:
Mrs ‘V’ (Vanzuyden) and Mrs Wardle in English, who let my oral presentations become full theatrical productions and always encouraged my wild ideas;
Mr Fletcher and Mr Millard, who embraced my creative freedom in the school productions and allowed me to explore performance in a way that became hugely pivotal to my life.

And then came the moment that changed everything.

In 1996, I signed up for a school excursion to West Side Story — mostly because I wanted a day off school. I had no idea that bus ride to the city would alter the entire trajectory of my future. Sitting in the theatre, watching that musical, I felt something click into place inside me. I was completely in awe. I wrote a fan letter to the star of the show Caroline O’Connor — and incredibly, that letter began a connection that would later change my life again. Shortly after school, I ended up working for Caroline as her personal assistant. Today, she is family to me. This year alone I flew to Paris and New York City to watch her perform, and she stays with me at my home in Los Angeles every six months to keep her green card current. All of that blossomed from one school excursion.

After finishing school, I went on to study musical theatre, toured Australia performing in shows for primary and high schools with Brainstorm Productions, and then spent four years singing, dancing and performing comedy onstage at Dracula’s Cabaret. Another full-circle moment: ASC had taken us on a school excursion to Dracula’s back in 1997, and I remember declaring that I wanted to work there one day. At 28, I became a featured performer in the show.

While working at Dracula’s I had my days free, so I picked up photography as a hobby — and that would later steer my life again. At 33, I won the Green Card lottery and finally fulfilled my childhood dream: I moved to Los Angeles. I’ve now been here 11 years, working across photography, acting, backstage production positions, major studio events and television production.

My career has taken me everywhere: years at Warner Bros. working in their tour department, production work on the final season of The Ellen DeGeneres Show and then The Jennifer Hudson Show, countless events at every major studio, and travel around the U.S. for pop-up productions and conferences. I’ve worked premieres, red carpets, and huge industry events — the Stranger Things final-season premiere just last week, the launch of new Avatar and Fortnite game addtions, at James Cameron’s studio, the Grammys, Elton John’s Oscar party, Steven Tyler’s and Elizabeth Taylor’s fundraisers, events at Kathy Hilton’s home for her Christmas festivities, Formula 1 in Austin, multiple Super Bowls in Las Vegas, New Orleans and Arizona… the list goes on.

One of my proudest moments happened just last month: spending six days in Las Vegas photographing Alanis Morissette onstage for her residency. That was a genuine dream come true. Little Gillian at the formative teenage years listening to Jagged Little Pill album on repeat to now standing on the stadium stages with her capturing her brilliance.

I often think back to that small rural town in the ‘90s — to the bush dances, blue light discos, swimming sports, the debutante ball, school productions, riding the bus with friends, trade classes, ski squad, and the strong sense of community that held us all. It was a simple, safe, socially rich upbringing, and it shaped me into someone who could dream big without limits.

If I could leave today’s students with anything, it would be this:

Dreams can come from small places.
You don’t have to be academic to succeed.
Find your people.
There are many different definitions of success.

Alexandra Secondary College gave me freedom, encouragement, community, and space to grow into the person I was always meant to be — quirks and all. I’m forever grateful.

Gillian Perry (2025)