The past year has been a remarkable one for Tassone, full of experiences that will stay with her forever, marked by achievements that have reinforced her belief in her ability to make a difference.

An English teacher at the Academy of Mary Immaculate, a girls’ high school in Fitzroy, Tassone’s work was recognised on the annual list compiled by the Herald Sun.

Tassone earned her place as one of the nation’s most inspiring educators for being, in the words of the judges, “A bold, passionate and inspiring role model who encourages her students to think and act. Her students can’t wait to come to class.”

The announcement came as a surprise to Tassone, who only learned of the accolade after its publication.

A second-generation Italian Australian, Tassone grew up in Melbourne. After finishing high school, she pursued creative writing.

“Then I realised no one was ever going to pay me to write,” she admitted with a laugh.

Determined to channel her passion for words into a meaningful career, she turned to teaching, which allowed her to talk about books and literature while sharing her love for them with her students.

She got her teaching qualifications 15 years ago and has been in the classroom ever since.

Teaching teenagers, however, hasn’t always been easy. “Interest in reading has definitely declined over time,” she noted, comparing today’s students to those from when she first started teaching.

The fallout from this trend, according to Tassone, has been a noticeable drop in students’ ability to express themselves, both in writing and orally.

“With their reliance on social media, they use very informal language and make a lot of spelling mistakes.”

Still, social media hasn’t been all bad. “Thanks to TikTok, there’s been a renewed interest in reading over the past year,” she said, referring to the phenomenon of BookTok, where young people create and share viral videos about books, sometimes posting brief reviews.

“It’s brought a lot of kids back to reading.”

Tassone also offered her top three must-read books. “At least one work by William Shakespeare—Macbeth, in my opinion—something by Jane Austen, and, for something lighter, Looking for Alibrandi,” she suggested.

“When I read it in Year 9, it helped me understand myself better.”

Tassone’s passion for ideas extends beyond her classroom. After learning about the challenges faced by some women in India, aged 19 to 22, who are often excluded from society and unable to find work if they aren’t married, she decided to act.

“As much as I could be angry or indignant about the situation, I asked myself what I could do to help. They want to learn English; I teach English. They have a need; I have the skills,” she said.

This led her to volunteer in India for two months, teaching these young women and sharing unforgettable moments that left her with a renewed sense of purpose and energy.

From India, Tassone travelled to Italy to reconnect with her roots. “I’d been to Italy a few times, but never visited the places my grandparents came from.”

In Tocco da Casauria, Abruzzo, and Piminoro, Calabria, she experienced the colours, scents and warm hospitality of her ancestral homeland.

“I saw my maternal grandmother’s house, stood at the doorstep, and looked at the same mountains she would’ve seen when she stepped outside,” she reminisced.

In the small villages, where everyone knows each other, Tassone felt the locals’ warmth and curiosity.

“When I drove into the village, everyone turned to look at me,” she said, laughing. “A distant relative of my father gave me a tour, and everyone I met was very patient with my Italian.”

Perhaps it was an innate sense of belonging or the warmth she felt during her travels, but either way, Tassone’s connection to her grandparents’ land was deepened.

While she loves teaching at her school, Tassone is determined to continue making a difference. She’s already planning a trip to Peru in 2026, where she hopes to use her experience to support disadvantaged women in local communities.