OUR COLLEGE

Alumni Story

Stuart Hill
Class of 1989
September – 2019 

When you left school did you ever envisage that you would be where you are today?
Not a chance. I was 100% dedicated to pursuing a career in Nursing. That was fulfilled for 15 years and I loved every minute of it. Nursing at the Alfred Hospital I started to be exposed to Air Ambulance cases and started to wonder what it would be like. At that point I imagined it to be something I would never achieve.

What do you find most rewarding about your job?
Making a difference to patient outcomes. Getting out of bed to go to work is still exciting because no two days are the same. After 30 years I still see things I’ve never seen and still learn things about critical care. Einstein once said, “a life lived for others is a life worthwhile”. Meeting people in their moment of need is fascinating. Someone once said to me that you meet the “real person”. This is very true and something that has intrigued me my whole career. This extends to the family of the patient and significant others. It really is a privilege.

If you could go back to high school and tell yourself something, what would it be?
Never give up. Persist and work hard. Success in life is not measured by money or fame it is measured by how you conduct yourself. Think about eulogy virtues not resume virtues. Read the book “The Road to Character” by David Brooks.

For those of you interested in seeing Stuart in action, below is a clip of a winch operation he conducted off a cruise liner in the Bass Strait.https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=545106109317493