New ‘Broome’ sweeps clean ….
Nicole Broome joined the Lawhill Maritime Centre team in July to take up the role of Head of Student Welfare.
Her early experience included a stint nursing before studying PR and Communication which led to a 40 year career as a journalist, writer, and in marketing and PR. During this time she worked at the SABC, in ICT, the mining industry and was a founder member of a youth-based radio station Yfm, in Gauteng. She ran her own PR agency for 12 years.
Taking stock of her life, Nicole decided she wanted to give back and leave a positive legacy by doing meaningful work. When she saw that Lawhill was looking for a new hostel parent she recognised this as the perfect opportunity. The role encompasses more than just taking care of the physical and safety wellbeing of students. The opportunity to help vulnerable teenagers navigate these challenging years towards a career and independence also requires fostering sound mental health and developing sound decision-making skills.
Nicole has had an adventurous life including travelling the world, living in different countries and a passion for sailing, wildlife, reading and art. She hopes to pass on the life skills she has learnt to Lawhill’s students and make a positive impact in their lives.
… and great ‘Walls’ of fire!
An energetic Tracy Walls has joined Lawhill to assist Maritime Economics educator, Lungelo Hopa, and take up a host of other responsibilities.
Tracy has always been a hands-on person from her early childhood where she helped her father in the film industry. Her early career taught Tracy many skills including safety and health on various international mines, and gave her a solid foundation in project management. Her mother’s career at Kuhne and Nagel instilled an interest in the movement of goods around the world.
Her adventurous spirit and curious nature, plus her love of travel, took her to Thailand, where she taught for a year — and where, despite already being TEFL and CELTA-qualified – the teaching bug hit her hard so she picked up and completed her PGCE studies through UNISA.
She was seconded to Simon’s Town School for her practical. A life-changing day was when she sat in on a class taught by Brian Ingpen, seasoned maritime educator and co-founder of the Lawhill Maritime Centre. He delivered the most dynamic, theatrical, knowledge-rich lesson she had ever witnessed.
She never lost the teaching bug even after moving back to corporate and into change management where she worked on major industry projects. When Lawhill recently approached her to join the team, she didn’t need convincing.
She brings that same curiosity, discipline and hands-on instinct — for travel, for people and their cultures, for the way things and systems move — to everything she does.
