19 Jun 2025
This morning, we were privileged to welcome Karlee Symonds and her beautiful service dog, Isla, from Guide Dogs NSW. The visit was well attended by our support students, staff members, and several interested mainstream students.
Karlee, who has been blind since birth, has had Isla by her side for the past two years. She currently works as a Community Educator with Guide Dogs NSW, and her presentation was both engaging and informative.
Students and staff learned about life with low vision or blindness and gained valuable insight into the role of service dogs. One important takeaway was the reminder not to speak to or pat a service dog while it is working — identifiable by its vest — as this can distract the dog from its critical duties.
Karlee also shared practical ways we can support people with low vision or blindness, whether through direct physical assistance or by being an advocate in our communities.
Additionally, we discovered the diverse range of jobs and career opportunities available through Guide Dogs NSW — from working with animals to roles in education, advocacy, and support services.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to Karlee and Isla for their time and for the knowledge and inspiration they shared with us.
I would also like to thanks Jill Giuliani from Regional Industry Education Partnerships who came along with Karlee and informed us about this wonderful opportunity.
Thank you to the mainstream and support unit students who came along today for your engagement in Karlee's talk and for your insightful questions.
Thank you to the Support Unit Staff for your enthusiasm and support during Karlee's session.
Thank you to Bella Hennessy and Tayla Singh for doing such an amazing job of setting up and packing up the Studio for me.
And thank you to Ms Green and our wonderful office staff for your help in preparing for this visit.
Louise Miller
Relieving Transition Advisor
