About the Headmistress

Paulina Skerman | Headmistress

Marymount International School Rome is Paulina Skerman's fourth headship. A national award winning educator, she brings more than three decades of leadership across communities that differ in geography, culture, faith tradition, and educational setting. Her experience ranges from regional schools and boarding communities serving Indigenous and rural families to leadership in one of Australia's leading Catholic schools. In every setting, she has paired ambitious academic standards with innovation, strategic renewal, community trust, and genuine pastoral care.

Italy has always been part of Paulina's story. Both parents were born here, making her move from Australia to Rome both a professional commitment and a personal homecoming. Having relocated internationally herself, she understands the excitement and uncertainty that accompany such a move. She knows what it means to leave familiar routines, learn a new culture, find a place in a community, and build a sense of home. This gives her particular empathy for Marymount's internationally mobile families.

Paulina was drawn to Marymount's distinctive combination: a deep Catholic identity, a truly international community, a beautiful Roman campus, and continuous education from ages 2 to 18. Having the whole school together creates continuity and a strong sense of family. Younger children can see what lies ahead, while older students can lead and serve. Families form relationships over time, and teachers gain a long view of each student's development.

Rome enriches that education in ways no conventional classroom can. One of the world's great centers of architecture, history, art, and faith, the city allows students to encounter ideas in the places that shaped them. Paulina wants students to experience Rome as a living curriculum that deepens curiosity and cultural understanding while fostering perspective and responsibility.

Marymount's Catholic tradition gives this richness a moral purpose. The Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary mission, 'That all may have life,' calls the school to recognize the dignity and potential of every person. It invites reflection and prayer while directing students toward service and justice. Confident and hospitable, this identity helps students across cultures and faiths learn together while understanding the tradition that guides the school.

Paulina believes a great school is judged both by what students achieve and by who they become. She wants Marymount students to think deeply and communicate precisely, then pursue ambitious futures and act with integrity. She also wants them to develop wisdom, resilience, compassion, courage, and generosity. She believes exceptional outcomes depend upon exceptional educators whose expertise is valued. They need support and room to flourish.

Family is central to Paulina's life. She and her husband Andrew, a medical practitioner, have two adult sons. Their family has grown to include a wonderful daughter-in-law and a much-loved grandson. Paulina understands the hopes families hold and the trust they place in a school. Her hope is that every young person leaves Marymount intellectually accomplished and grounded in faith and character. She wants students to be confident in their gifts and ready to use them so that they, and others, may have life and have it to the full.