St Mary MacKillop College has commenced the 2026 academic year with a new principal, who has brought a wealth of experience to help build on the College’s reputation within the educational community.
Mrs Jacqueline Heffernan joined MacKillop in January from the NSW South Coast, where she spent more than 20 years as a principal across three schools.
“It is a privilege to lead such a dynamic and nurturing community, and I am grateful for the opportunity to build upon the outstanding legacy of the previous Principal, Michael Lee,” Mrs Heffernan said.
“His exceptional leadership, together with the dedication of our talented staff, has laid a strong foundation for the College’s continued growth and success.
“As Canberra’s largest secondary College, we are proud to be a school of choice, renowned for our welcoming culture, extensive range of opportunities, exceptional staff, and state-of-the-art facilities.
“We are committed to providing the very best outcomes for every learner and we are honoured to partner with our families in this shared mission.”
Mrs Heffernan joined MacKillop on the back of the College’s strong academic success in 2025, with five Year 12 students receiving an ATAR above 99 and the College Dux, Alex Kwiatkowski, achieving 99.90.
According to Alex, the culture amongst the staff and students helped his cohort to achieve its optimum.
“Everything at MacKillop is set up to help students succeed,” he said.
“On top of the resources and facilities, MacKillop is very good at personalising things based on needs and interests, and they provide us with a wide range of subjects that we can achieve well in.
“From Year 7 to 12, there was a great community helping me and supporting me all the way through my studies, and every teacher at this school deserves a shout out for what they contributed to each member of my graduating class.”
MacKillop is now accepting enrolments for the 2027 school year and will hold an Open Night on 11 May and Try MacKillop Day on 15 May. For information or to register for these events, visit mackillop.act.edu.au.
