From health care to music and media, the journeys of these three IGS Alums show how the skills and connections formed at school can open doors to exciting opportunities and lasting friendships. In this edition of our Where in the World are They?, we talked with Hannah Kroeger (2018), now a perioperative nurse, Maxine Baker (2019), a musician chasing her dreams, and Charles Goodsir (2016), a sports radio producer and host.
Hannah Kroeger 2018
After graduating in 2018 I took a gap year and travelled around Europe for the second half of the year. I was accepted into a Bachelor of Nursing at USYD and started that adventure in 2020. As you can imagine, this was quite a journey. I was working part time at a pharmacy while studying and then COVID hit. Working in healthcare and completing uni hospital placements during a pandemic was challenging to say the least. Nonetheless, I made it through and came out of my degree with lifelong friends and plenty of hands-on learning experience.
Fast forward to the present, I’m starting my 3rd year as a perioperative scrub nurse. Picture your favourite medical drama; I’m the one passing the scalpel to the surgeons during operations (but a bit more complex than that). I mainly specialise in orthopaedics but am lucky enough to be trained in all areas, including obstetrics, paediatrics and neurosurgery. I completed my postgraduate certificate in perioperative nursing last year and am looking at future study within nursing…maybe education.
I also moved out of home with a nursing friend and am loving living by the beach. Our place has a view of the water, which honestly is the best thing ever! I’ve got a few trips planned for the rest of the year and plan on enjoying the local beaches while the sun is out. I am still friends with a lot of IGS people (+ my boyfriend of 4 years, Flin). We were recently reminiscing about how we’d been friends for 20 years now. Crazy to think that IGS has formed such long term connections.
Charles Goodsir 2016
After graduating in 2016, I started a communications degree at UTS, majoring in journalism and sociology. The goal was to fulfil my lifelong dream to be a print journalist. That dream was dashed as the industry was decimated by COVID when I finished in 2020.
With little options in front of me, I listened to the advice of my mother and decided to undertake a masters in radio at AFTRS. It was the best decision I ever made as I met lifelong friends, fell into the job of my dreams and met my wonderful long-term girlfriend, Cayley.
I am nearing my three-year anniversary at SEN 1170, Sydney’s sports radio station. Anyone who knows me can tell you I am a sports tragic and I am incredibly grateful that I have combined my two greatest passions into a career; sport and media. I am currently a producer for our breakfast show with NRL legends Greg Alexander and Andrew Voss. I also host my own show from 5-6 am on weekdays. Recently, I’ve been the halftime announcer at Sydney Swans games, which has been plenty of fun.
I studied French from preschool all the way to year 12 and I’m happy to report that I have kept up my French. I was able to flex my linguistic skills for Cayley when we visited Europe earlier this year.
If I had 2 bits of advice for IGS students, it would be this:
- Don’t box yourself in. I never thought I’d be working in radio, but now that I am, I can’t imagine doing anything else.
- Listen to your parents. They only want the best for you, and they have been in your shoes before.
MAXINE BAKER 2019
I graduated from IGS in 2019, and have been making music, travelling and embarking on lots of adventures since!
I initially started at Sydney Uni doing contemporary music through The Con in 2021, after the pandemic kicked off. After a few months, I decided uni wasn’t for me and to take a different path! I moved out to Newtown with my best friend, fellow IGS Alum, Molly Gardiner. Since then, we’ve also lived in Enmore with Lily Shires and now in Stanmore! In between we’ve travelled, worked and done some studying too.
All throughout this, I’ve been making music and doing gigs across Sydney, both solo and in a band. Music has remained my one consistent passion and is definitely the thing I want to spend my life creating. I’m gearing up to hopefully tour next year and release some more music! I’m about to start working with a manager…Hopefully, I can be the next T-Swift! Omg!
I work at a coffee shop for the time being until I can become a full time rockstar – the hustle is real! I’m still so close with so many of my fabulous IGS friends, and I try to practice as much of my French as possible! I even went to Paris for a few weeks to continue my French lessons. It’s my favourite city in the world!
I’m so thankful for all IGS gave to me and still miss it to this day! PS go Bamal.
