Alisha McMullen - Rising Stars Award Winner
We are proud to announce that Alisha McMullen, Teacher of Junior School, has been awarded the Rising Star Award by The Educator magazine. In their search for the best up and coming talent in the education sector, Alisha was among 50 candidates across Australia recognised for her leadership, innovation and achievements in the early stages of her career. Congratulations Alisha!
Meet Alisha
Alisha was the Penrhos College Captain in 2016. As a 2021 graduate of Curtin University with the prestigious John Curtin Undergraduate Scholarship, Alisha demonstrated early on her commitment to leadership, excellence and community impact. Her outstanding achievements during her final internship, where she received 100% on her Graduate Teaching Assessment and was named ‘exceeding’ in all AITSL standards, proved her readiness to excel in the profession. Alisha then returned to Penrhos as a teacher in the same room she attended as a Year 6 student!
Championing innovation and inquiry in curriculum design
Alisha is passionate about integrating the curriculum in innovative ways that are relevant for young people’s futures, where creativity, collaboration and critical thinking are prioritised. Her work in guiding students through the IB Primary Years Programme Exhibition process has been transformative, fostering agency and ownership in students’ learning. Drawing inspiration from her experiences at the 2024 Global IB Conference, Alisha uses the Design Thinking Model to guide students through an integrated inquiry process, where they choose real-world issues they care about, engage in research and plan actions to address these issues.
Leadership beyond the classroom
Outside of the classroom, Alisha is co-founder and co-director of ALL IN, a startup focussing on equipping young leaders with the skills necessary for success. Through ALL IN, she has worked with students from Penrhos College, Aquinas College, Wesley College, and Curtin University, delivering workshops where young leaders define what success looks like to them, and build the confidence and vision to pursue their goals. Alisha’s workshops cultivate essential capabilities in leadership, communication, teamwork, self-management and project planning, empowering students to feel confident and prepared to create meaningful change. Before developing her own venture, she was a Youth Mentor at the Australasian Student Leadership Conference at Bond University, and Leadership Coach at UCLA’s LEAP conference in Los Angeles.
Shaping the future of education with vision and impact
Alisha’s early career has been characterised by innovation, leadership, and dedication to her students. Her approach blends effective teaching with a deep commitment to student well-being, inclusivity, and future-readiness. Through her classroom practices and her work with ALL IN, Alisha is actively shaping the future of education, nurturing a generation of students who are not only academically capable but also compassionate, engaged citizens who are ready for the complex world ahead. Her students will be a ‘force for good’.
