When Brittany Fossey (Class of 2013) was a student at Tara, she never imagined that the Joan Waugh Scholarship would one day have her name attached to it.
At the time, Brittany thought she knew what her future would look like. She planned to study Psychology, make movies alongside it and, importantly, had no intention of pursuing postgraduate study.
More than a decade later, her journey has taken her from Psychology at the University of Sydney to film school, the Australian film and television industry and, ultimately, Los Angeles, where she completed a Master of Fine Arts in Writing for the Screen at Loyola Marymount University.
It is a journey that recently brought Brittany back to Tara as the recipient of the $10,000 Joan Waugh Scholarship, where she shared with students not only where her career has taken her, but what she has learned from following a path that has been anything but linear.
A career shaped by more than one passion
Brittany graduated from Tara in 2013 with interests spanning both science and the arts. She went on to complete a Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) at the University of Sydney, with her research into illness perceptions and health behaviour in women with PCOS later published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
At the same time, her interest in storytelling continued to grow.
After completing a Diploma of Screen and Media at Sydney Film School, Brittany built experience across the film and television industry as a script supervisor, writer, producer and director. Her professional journey has included work with Nine Entertainment, Wooden Horse and numerous Australian and US productions.
Her feature film credits include She’s The He, selected for SXSW Film Festival 2025, and Salt Along the Tongue, showcased at SXSW Sydney 2024.
Brittany eventually moved to Los Angeles to undertake postgraduate study at Loyola Marymount University, supported by an LMU Merit Scholarship. Alongside developing her own creative practice, she has contributed to the university as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and Writing Tutor.
Her experience across psychology, research, filmmaking and screenwriting might appear to represent several different careers. For Brittany, however, that is precisely the point.
“It’s okay to pursue more than one passion”
Returning to Tara to speak with students, Brittany reflected on the pressure young people can sometimes feel to identify a single direction for their future.
Her message was instead one of openness and adaptability.
“Don’t let anyone put you into a box. It’s okay to pursue more than one passion,” she told students.
Speaking with Years 11 and 12, Brittany described careers not as a straight road from school to a predetermined destination, but as journeys that can include detours, dead ends and unexpected opportunities. Persistence, self-belief and the support of others, she explained, can be just as important as knowing exactly where you want to go.
It was a particularly relevant message for students approaching the end of their schooling and beginning to make decisions about study, careers and life beyond Tara.
Supporting the next chapter
The Joan Waugh Scholarship recognises Tara alumnae pursuing further study and developing expertise in their chosen fields. For Brittany, the scholarship provides valuable support as she continues to establish herself as a screenwriter and filmmaker internationally.
Her story also demonstrates why opportunities to support alumnae beyond their school years remain important.
The interests students discover at school do not always develop in predictable ways. Careers change, new opportunities emerge and sometimes seemingly different passions eventually intersect.
Brittany's journey from Tara student to psychology graduate, researcher, filmmaker, screenwriter and postgraduate student is a reminder that success does not require following one prescribed path.
We congratulate Brittany on receiving the Joan Waugh Scholarship and thank her for returning to Tara to share her experiences with the next generation of students. We look forward to seeing where her story takes her next.