St Rita’s College Principal, Mrs Dale Morrow, has been announced as a Queensland Fellowship recipient in acknowledgement of her exceptional educational leadership.

Fellowships are awarded by the Australian Council for Educational Leaders (ACEL) to leaders who have made outstanding contributions to educational leadership at the state and/or national level throughout their career.

Award recipients are selected from the state system, Catholic and independent schools, professional associations, universities and supporting organisations.

Mrs Morrow’s Fellowship Award recognised her achievements throughout her career, 11 years of which have been spent as Principal of St Rita’s College. 

“I am humbled to have been nominated and to receive this Fellowship,” she said. 

 “I would like to acknowledge the thousands of teachers who work very hard every day to ensure that our future generations are well educated and can contribute to a brighter future for all. 

“Education is the key to empowerment and it remains a most noble profession.”

The widely-admired teacher was acknowledged as a highly respected and generous educator, particularly in her support of teachers and humanitarian causes. She regularly visits classrooms and spends time mentoring leaders, and on several occasions has worked in Cambodia with the Marist organisation to support victims of mine blasts.

Morrow with St Rita's College 2020 Captains Caitlin Wasmund Loughnan, Gabrielle Wade and Elizabeth Seccombe.

Dale Morrow has remodelled a number of curricular, pastoral, cocurricular and cultural aspects of St Rita’s College, with teachers from regional and country schools often visiting to witness her work in action.

She was also the founding president of the Nagle Education Association of Australia, is a board member of the Catholic Secondary Schools Sporting Association (CaSSSA), holds positions in the Finance and Education Reference groups of the Queensland Catholic Education Commission, and is a member of the ACEL and the Alliance of Girls’ Schools.

Prior to her position at St Rita’s, she implemented a comprehensive VET program at Marist College Ashgrove that catered for rural (boarding), Indigenous, overseas and local students.

Mrs Morrow will officially receive her award at the ACELQ Awards Celebration in August.