More than six decades after walking through the doors of a newly established Saint Joseph’s Secondary School, Maria Handiside says the values she learned there have remained with her throughout her life.

Now in her mid-80s, Handiside travelled from Brisbane to Fiji to join generations of former students at the school’s 70th Anniversary Ball in Suva, returning to the institution as one of its pioneering students.

A member of the Class of 1956–1959, she was among the first girls to enter Saint Joseph’s when the school was established, at a time when its buildings, classrooms and even its traditions were still taking shape.

Looking back, Handiside said Saint Joseph’s was more than a school.

It was an institution that helped shape the women its students would become.

“Everything at Saint Joseph’s was brand new,” she recalled of her first days at the school.

The experience, however, quickly became about more than new buildings and polished floors.

Handiside said the school gave its students an immediate sense of belonging, bringing together girls from different cultural backgrounds and teaching them to live, learn and grow alongside one another.

For her, that experience became a foundation that extended far beyond her school years.

The Sisters of St Joseph of Cluny placed strong emphasis on discipline, punctuality, respect and personal presentation.

Handiside also paid tribute to the Sisters who drove the establishment of the school, particularly Mother Louise, whom she described as a determined force behind acquiring the land on Waimanu Road and establishing Saint Joseph’s Secondary School.

She recalled how, during the school’s early days, students were asked to collect stones and place them on a mound. She later learned that those stones were eventually used to build the school’s grotto.

“It was an absolute joy to be a student at St Joseph’s,” she said.

She said the teachers were exceptional and made their students feel like family.

Handiside said the reunions were opportunities not only to reconnect, but to acknowledge the people who had helped shape their lives.

Now, as Saint Joseph’s celebrates 70 years, she believes that legacy can be measured in the generations of women who have passed through its gates.

Handiside said her generation remained deeply grateful to the Sisters of St Joseph of Cluny for their contribution to education and service.

She said the extensive reunion programme organised by the alumni reflected the brilliant and forward-thinking minds of the Saint Joseph’s women of today.