Kay Lee (Class of 1980)
A Passionate Supporter of Penrhos College
The impact of our donors can be found in every corner of our campus, from our state-of-the-art performing arts venue, which offers students a professional real-world theatre experience, to the outstanding Meg Melville Science Innovation Centre that provides modern laboratories for scientific exploration and creative thinking.
These exceptional facilities are enjoyed by our students today and will enrich the experiences of generations of girls tomorrow. Many of our innovations and achievements are due to the strength of our College community and a strong culture of giving.
One truly inspiring individual who embodies this passion for Penrhos and has the students always at her heart is alumna, Kay Lee.
“Going to Penrhos meant that I should then let others have that same opportunity. Because even though for me it wasn’t an issue to go to the school, there are others for whom it is. To support a scholarship or to be on the Foundation and to put back is essential in my mind as just part of being a member of the community.”
Originally from Malaysia, Kay immigrated with her parents and brother at the age of seven to Australia. She attended Penrhos from Year 7 in 1970. Given her parents’ successful careers in accounting, it was only natural for Kay to be drawn to Maths and Science during her school years. Her education at Penrhos laid the foundation for a remarkable career, with Kay becoming one of the top 10 female stockbrokers in Perth over her successful 25-year career.
To this day, Kay enjoys strong friendships with her peers from her Science classes and holds a deep connection with Penrhos. Her dedication and love for giving back is truly exceptional, from tirelessly volunteering for the Alumni Committee and Foundation Board to generously supporting various Foundation initiatives. Most recently, Kay decided to acknowledge the extraordinary opportunities an education at Penrhos College provides to girls with a gift in her will.
“I’m going to leave a bequest to Penrhos of about 10% when I eventually pass because I think somebody should be able to have a future that they didn’t envision. For me to come to Australia to have what I’ve enjoyed means I would like other people to enjoy that Australian way of life.”
Penrhos not only offered Kay an exceptional academic education but also played a pivotal role in helping her discover her true passion: hockey. Laurie Packham, then Head of Sports and former Captain of Hockey Australia (1967), recognised Kay’s talent, although it had a bit of a bumpy start.
“When I first came from Malaysia, a Muslim country where girls would not be encouraged to do sports, in fact, I think girls didn’t do sports, so, here I come to Penrhos and there are people running, swimming and doing all sorts of things, which I was a bit taken aback by. I was very lucky that Laurie took me under her wing and taught me how to play hockey. Because I was so uncoordinated she stuck me into goals,” recalls Kay.
“One of my first games I let in 32 goals; they were just whizzing past me and Laurie felt quite sorry for me. Somehow, I think that was the making of me because I felt like I really had to persevere because I couldn’t be that terrible at something.”
And persevere she did, excelling in hockey, cricket, tennis and volleyball.
In particular Kay’s love for hockey was unstoppable, leading her from the fields of Penrhos to becoming a successful goalie for the WASPs. Even today in retirement, she is umpiring games for all levels from junior to masters hockey.
For more than three and a half years now, Kay has served as Secretary of the Foundation Board, utilising her financial background to support the investment committee. Witnessing the dedication of Foundation President Chris Gee inspired her to join the board.
“I think, for me, it’s another way of giving back. We have a good board, people with different skill sets and Chris, being the very committed person that he is, giving so generously of his time that when you have people leading the way and showing such true and dedicated commitment, you just have to help them.”
Being a strong believer in STEM, Kay was eager to support the College’s commitment in this field. The opportunity arose when plans were announced to honour Meg Melville, who was Kay’s Economics teacher, by naming the newly built Science Innovation Centre after her and offering opportunities to sponsor periodic element plaques.
“I was really delighted that the College wanted to honour her before she retired. I said you have to set aside potassium for me because my initial is ‘K’ and potassium’s symbol is ‘K’. That was the first thing I supported”.
It didn’t stop there; she also sponsored a chemistry lab in memory of her teachers: “George Przywolnik was my Chemistry teacher and Bruce Eyles was my Physics teacher and both of them were great guys and really helped me a lot in both Physics and Chemistry.” She also supported the Alumni Lookout Collective initiative. “So, I think every single fundraiser for the Science Innovation Centre I have contributed to,” says Kay with a smile on her face.
“Your parents set the standard for the person you are. My parents always said, ‘Don’t be a drain on society,’” remembers Kay. Her father, she says, led by example when he distributed his mother’s inheritance equally among his brothers and sisters, defying Malaysia’s inheritance laws favouring the eldest son. It filled Kay with joy showing her parents her own legacy.
“One day when both my parents were still able to get around, on a whim I took them to Penrhos. I managed to get them into the elevator and take them up to the Chemistry room and then to also view the outlook over South Perth from the Alumni Lookout. You can sort of see my parents’ home from there with a bit of imagination. That day was extremely special.”
Kay harvests her own honey and is the proud owner of two beehives with more than 50,000 bees. She is also an avid collector of cow merchandise,
with an impressive collection of over 2,000 cow-themed items!
She also finds immense joy seeing the students learning in the Science Innovation Centre.
“When I look at all these girls working hard, doing so much, just having that opportunity like me to do Science really gladdens my heart.”
Kay is a true believer in giving back.
“When you give you receive 10 times more back. I know it sounds a bit cheesy because you sort of feel ‘well, it’s just dollars and cents really’ but you get a warm fuzzy feeling and you really feel elevated and enlightened for so long. You’ve put a little bright sunshine in someone’s life and that’s what giving does”
Every gift is unique to the donor. If you would like to join Kay Lee and leave a lasting impact through a gift in your will, please contact Ra Stewart, Manager Foundation and Partnerships at stewar@penrhos.wa.edu.au or 08 9368 9621 to ensure we fully appreciate your wishes, so your gift can be used in the way you intend.
