OUR Team

Our Where there’s a Will team believes in Martin Seligman’s premise that PERMA makes up five important building blocks of wellbeing and happiness. These five building blocks underpin our approach for Where there’s a Will and relationships within our team.

  • Positive emotions – feeling good
  • Engagement – being completely absorbed in activities
  • Relationships – being authentically connected to others
  • Meaning – purposeful existence
  • Achievement – a sense of accomplishment and success

We are also becoming more aware of our character strengths to help ourselves and our team to achieve optimal outcomes for Where there’s a Will. 

For this reason, we’ve mentioned each of our team members’ top character strengths.  If you are interested in finding out your own character strengths, click here to take the VIA Character Strengths free survey.

PAULINE CARRIGAN - FOUNDER

Pauline Carrigan would describe herself as a farmer's wife and married to Hilton, they have lived their married life on a cattle property where they raised their family.

Pauline is the founder, driver and visionary of Where there's a Will.   Her momentum, perseverance and commitment to create a flourishing Upper Hunter community where our youth can thrive is unparalleled.  As a team, we continually take inspiration from her.

Pauline’s top character strengths are gratitude, honesty, perseverance, love and creativity.   These strengths have changed since the beginning of Pauline’s journey, when she founded Where there’s a Will.   Pauline explains, “I came to realise how thankful I was that everyone shared this vision and were willing to work with me. Honesty is something that has grown as I see the importance of sharing why we need to follow the vision of Where there’s a Will.”

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.“ Nelson Mandela.

This is one of Pauline’s favourite quotes.  Her belief is that Positive Education will change our Upper Hunter community and she will make it her quest to make that happen.

SCOTT SHANN – CHAIR

MICHAEL GILLETTE – BOARD MEMBER

BEN HODGES – BOARD MEMBER

KIRSTY HAILS – BOARD MEMBER

Kirsty Hails is the Director of The Yellow Cottage Preschool, Scone and has been a teacher for over 30 years across the Primary and Early Childhood sectors. Kirsty is a mother of four children ranging in age from 22 to 12. 

Kirsty started her career in Primary Teaching and then her passion for play based learning and early childhood education motivated her to retrain and complete Early Childhood studies and then she began to work in Early Childhood services.

Kirsty holds a Bachelor Education (Hons) from the University of Wollongong as well as a Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education from Murdoch University and a Professional Certificate in Education (Positive Education) University of Melbourne.

Kirsty is passionate about Positive Education and Early Childhood Education and she works hard to promote these in her local community.

ELIZABETH BATES – BOARD MEMBER

ANDREA BURNS – BOARD MEMBER

LINDY HUNT - STUDENT LEADERSHIP COORDINATOR

More than 20 years of experience in student leadership has given Lindy countless opportunities to nourish student leadership.  Student Leadership is effective in building confidence and inspiring every student to use their strengths to make a positive difference, both in their schools and their world.

Leading three very different schools as principal, over 20 years across NSW. A need for Positive Education to promote mental health was a gaping hole that Lindy is relieved to be able to support as its positive, strengths based approach ties beautifully with the development of resilience, confidence and leadership skills.

Lindy’s character strengths are  creativity, kindness, appreciation of beauty & excellence, leadership and team work.