Mary Khawli has been the quintessential “face of Emerson” at the Junior/Senior campus for the past 13 years, manning the front office reception desk until mid-2026 when she transitioned to become the Finance Support after another staff member’s retirement.
“Working on the front desk, I’ve always tried to learn the names of students and their family members, as it is nice to be greeted by name,” Mary says, with her trademark smile that most Emersonians know and love.
Mary began her working life in office admin at ITC Products in Dandenong. She moved to Baron Insulation for a while, before taking time off to have her three (now-adult) children. Eventually, she returned to the workforce, first in a clothing store, then at Kmart where she worked evening shifts before attending a finance admin training program at the Emerson training centre.
“I wanted to find work in a school that would offer better hours than nightshift while my children were still young, and I was very happy to find a position on the staff at Emerson,” she says.
One of Mary’s great loves over the years has been family camping trips that started with her husband, children and her father—three generations all together, along with cousins and other members of the extended clan. To her joy, this is now a tradition that her adult kids continue.
Most of the family camping trips were to Paradise Valley in Gippsland, on a former farming property that had been converted into a campsite.
“We started in a tent, then added a trailer. Eventually we progressed to a big family caravan, which was much easier. Now that the kids are adults, John and I have a small caravan for the two of us, though quite often when go away the kids will come too and bring their own tents.”
Mary and her family have undertaken many trips around different parts of Australia, including to Cape York, King’s Canyon, the Eyre Peninsula, Yorke Peninsula, and most recently the Flinders Ranges, Coober Pedy, Uluru, Kings Canyon, Dalhousie Springs, the Simpson Desert and Birdsville.
She has many stories that relate to camping, including the time she was standing with her back to the campfire one night at King’s Canyon and saw a dingo circling their site. “That was a little scary, especially as I’d heard a lot of growling the night before,” she says.
Another memory from that trip was the freezing temperatures at night. “It was so cold ice would form on the inside of our tent at night, and then when the sun hit the canvas the next morning the ice would begin to melt and drip everywhere inside,” she says.
Another time, while camping at Flinders Ranges, a storm came through that was so severe the family decided to sleep in the car. “I was behind the steering wheel, which I have to admit wasn’t very comfortable,” she says. “I fully expected to find the tent collapsed the next day, but somehow it was still standing firm.”
Mary’s recent Simpson Desert camping adventure was memorable, she says, for the beautiful colours of the landscape, particularly at sunrise over Uluru. “And of course, we had to do the Big Red sand dune in our 4WD, which was exciting.” The Big Red dune stands 40 metres tall and is located near Birdsville.
Mary is known for her love of music, describing herself as a “microphone hog” when it comes to one of her favourite pastimes, karaoke. She and her family always feature karaoke at parties and events.
She grew up listening to music across different decades from the 1960s on, and as a result has an eclectic taste in music. She loves attending gigs and concerts and has seen many different singers and bands over the years.
“I’ve seen everyone from Cliff Richard to Metallica,” she says. “My favourite would have to be Bruno Mars, which surprised me as I mainly went along to keep my daughter company. But that concert was a party from start to finish, and so much fun.”
She also loves musicals, most recently Pretty Woman, Waitress, and The Book of Mormon. Her favourite musical is Beauty and the Beast, which she has seen more than once. She is looking forward to Guy Sebastian later this year when he performs in Warragul and has managed to secure tickets to the upcoming show, The Story of Neil Diamond.
Everything about Mary is positive, energetic and friendly, reflecting the underlying culture of what Emerson School is all about.
[interviewed July 2026]
Photo credits: Images in this article supplied by Mary Khawli – Feature image: Mary on a camping trip / Above right: Uluru colours / Above bottom left: Mary and her brother in the Simpson Desert
