Emma Bylsma

Class Act: Leadership in the Regions

From science teacher to Deputy Principal, Emma Bylsma’s story shows how education shapes leaders - and how Charles Sturt University helps them thrive in regional communities.

When Emma Bylsma walked into her first classroom in Mount Druitt in 1995, she wasn’t thinking about school leadership, strategic planning, or community impact. She simply wanted to teach.

“I genuinely love teaching,” she says. “I love that every day is varied and I get to make a difference in the lives of others.”

Today, as Deputy Principal at St Columba Anglican School (SCAS) in Port Macquarie, Emma leads with the same spirit - deeply grounded in relationships, authenticity, and a lifelong commitment to learning.

“Leadership was never the goal,” she says. “But if you cannot connect with people, you cannot lead them. Students know that I see them, know them, and care for them, and that drives a learning environment based on trust and connection.”

Her career is a reminder that regional leaders often grow from the support of their community, driven by passion and strengthened by education.

Why Charles Sturt Was the Perfect Fit

In 2025, Emma completed her Master of Business Administration with Charles Sturt University - an achievement woven into the reality of raising four children while managing senior leadership responsibilities.

She credits Charles Sturt’s flexibility and people-first approach for making it possible.

“What I valued most was the intersection of flexibility and authentic support that Charles Sturt University provides for professional, regional students,” she says. “The coursework was 100% remote, which was non-negotiable for my co-parenting arrangement. The availability of three teaching sessions per year was a game-changer.”

Just as powerful was the human connection behind the course design.

“One lecturer rang me when an assignment was late to ask if I needed help,” Emma recalls. “Another understood my ‘working-mum reality’ and gave me an individual assessment option so I could study at 5 am. That level of care turned a challenging pursuit into a successful one.”

Her graduation in Port Macquarie - a community celebration surrounded by family, colleagues, SCAS alumni, local Elders, and CSU staff - reinforced her sense of belonging.

Emma’s trajectory from science teacher to Deputy Principal has been anything but linear - and she encourages others to embrace the same openness.

“You have to take responsibility for developing yourself,” she says. “In today’s complex and changing world, continuous learning is not optional, it’s essential.”

Her advice to those considering further study or a career pivot is refreshingly practical:

• Identify your gaps - and be brave. For Emma, developing business and technical leadership capability meant choosing an MBA.
• Choose a program that fits your reality. Prestige means little without feasibility.
• Expect grit to matter. “There is no such thing as work-life balance,” she says with a smile. “Just strategic ‘close enoughs’ and intentional trade-offs.”

Her message is clear: growth doesn’t just happen. It’s built by intention.

Emma is unequivocal about the role universities like Charles Sturt play in regional Australia.

“Regional universities are the foundation of thriving, resilient communities,” she says. “Their role is far beyond simply providing education; they are the key to long-term social and economic sustainability.”

She sees this every day - through Charles Sturt students training in critical professions, through graduates who choose to stay regional, and through her own family, with future teachers, a physiotherapist, and a paramedic in the making, all committed to serving the Mid North Coast.

When students study locally and remain in the region, Emma says, they strengthen schools, health services, industries, and social fabric.

Looking forward, she believes deeper partnerships are essential.

“We must collaborate to support teaching internships, build more local industry connections, and help students gain real-world experience,” she says. “Ultimately, supporting regional education is investing in people - and when we do that locally, the entire community benefits.”

Her values lead her leadership, too: “Don’t trade integrity for convenience. If your values don’t align with the culture of an organisation, don’t be afraid to walk away.”

A Partner in Possibility

For Emma, Charles Sturt University didn’t just offer an MBA - it offered confidence, capability, and connection. It gave her the tools to lead, the flexibility to balance her life, and the affirmation that regional leaders matter deeply to their communities.

In her words, CSU was “the perfect fit” - and a partner in shaping the kind of leadership regional Australia needs.