Susan Lockwood arrived at Mt Austin High School in 1987 for her very first day as a young casual teacher.
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She couldn't have known then that her education career would be a long and distinguished one, or that she'd stay at the school for more than 30 years.
In her three decades at the school, Ms Lockwood was a science teacher, head of science and the deputy principal, before being appointed principal in 2013.
Her dedication has today been recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours with an OAM for service to education.
"It's very very surprising to start with, but very very humbling. It's still sinking in really," Ms Lockwood said.
As a child growing up in Orange "on the edge of the bush" she developed a deep fascination with her environment, which led to her interest in science and a degree in biology.
She wanted to inspire the same curiosity in others and decided to pursue a career in teaching.
"I just really enjoyed getting kids to be curious about their world, and trying to spread the passion for the world around them and how things work," she said.
Ms Lockwood said it was incredibly rewarding to play a role in shaping a young person's understanding of the world and their life's path.
"It's very powerful. Just one child saying, 'That was an amazing lesson'," she said.
In 2013 under Ms Lockwood's stewardship Mt Austin High School was granted a significant portion of funding under the Gonski scheme.
The school, which until then had had "very minimal" resources, worked with The Smith Family and the Clontarf Foundation and used some of the funding to employ full time staff to support its Indigenous students.
The school also implemented a permanent family referral program, as well as teacher coaching to better cater for students from a lower socio-economic background.
"So really the whole school underwent reform in every aspect. It was a gamble." Ms Lockwood said.
She wanted to acknowledge the staff and students at Mt Austin, as well as Wagga City Council, Federal Riverina MP Michael McCormack, local Aboriginal Elders and her own family.
"I'm very privileged to have worked with that community," she said.
