Martine Oglethorpe

“I remember the relationships and the sense of friendship and connection with the wider community”

The digital world has transformed and influenced every facet of our lives. Martine Oglethorpe, Yarra Old Grammarian and current parent, reveals how Yarra inspired her to use digital as a key part of her career evolution.

Martine is an author, public speaker and the voice behind The Modern Parent blog. She is also the mother of five boys, ranging from Prep to Year 11. Martine remembers Yarra being a place where she was given the opportunity to take part in activities she hadn’t tried before.

“There weren’t many girls at the School when I was here – I made more sports teams in Year 11 than I had my whole time at School. I loved being so involved in so many different things, from skiing to the Rock Eisteddfod”.

After graduating, Martine specialised in education and counselling and this lead to her exploring the changing roles that are part of modern parenting, and the influence of the digital world.

“My perspective is to not have parents overwhelmed by what they hear and see. You don’t have to keep up with every single thing your child does. It’s about knowing the skills your child needs, having conversations with your children and being involved”.

Martine shares some of the lessons she learned at Yarra with her own boys, such as to keep moving forward and to always challenge yourself.

“School taught me to have the confidence to try things. I talk to my boys about taking on as many experiences as they can and to get involved in things they may not always have done”.

Our YOGs proudly go on to wide and varied areas of interest. Importantly, Martine shows us how Yarra provides opportunities that span generations.