To the wonderful Burgmann community,
Please find attached a letter from Chair Greg Mills which shares that this year will be my last year as Principal at Burgmann; my last official day in the office will likely be 31 January 2024.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude for a rewarding and transformative professional and personal 13 years at Burgmann College, with eight as Principal. The Burgmann community has shaped my life profoundly: during the time I have been here, I have met my husband, married and had two beautiful children.
It has been an honour to work with the incredible staff and volunteers at Burgmann; their dedication and commitment to our transformative residential experience is unparalleled. It has also been a joy to have met so many alumni of Burgmann College. I have been struck by the fondness with which they remember the College, and how they speak of the role this community played in their lives during an important time in their lives.
This year has been the first year since prior to the pandemic where I have felt the College culture, staff and Burg spirit are thriving to that pre-pandemic level. It is because I feel confident in the College’s position that I believe it is the perfect time for me to pass the baton onto Burgmann’s next Principal.
While I do not have any career plans post-Burg just yet, I won't be far away in Hackett, ACT. It is going to be an adjustment, not having 378 neighbours and a wonderful team to bump into whenever I leave my house, however, I would be lying if I said I was going to miss telling residents to turn the music down late at night...
In closing, I would like to emphasise something that is incredibly important to me, and that is you, our alumni. Burgmann alumni such as yourself have an integral role to play in supporting residents today, and the College more broadly, into the future. I am passionate about making connections between alumni and the Burgmann community because I have seen how impactful this can be.
A friend recently shared this quote by Kalu Ndukwe Kalu with me, 'The things you do for yourself are gone when you're gone, but the things you do for others remain as your legacy.' When I think about Burgmann College, it is my hope that alumni realise the extraordinary power they have in building a legacy for Burgmann College, one that ensures Burgmann remains the vibrant home-away-from-home for students, for centuries to come.
Residents absolutely love connecting with alumni through our Burgmann Alumni & Friends Mentoring Program ('BAM') and having alumni come back to the College to speak at academic roundtable evenings; please get involved in these opportunities! We are deeply appreciative of those who support our bursaries and scholarships and other funding priorities; please donate to the College - it literally changes lives.
A significant challenge the College faces is reconnecting with alumni, as we have lost contact with many over the years, especially when women Burgies changed their name on marriage. We need your help to update your details and encourage fellow alumni to do so, too.
It is hard to imagine leaving Burgmann, but I am comforted by the thought that I will be joining the ranks of so many dedicated and motivated alumni!
Sally Renouf
Principal
