She was going to cut her professional teeth on this tiny little school in the back blocks of southern NSW, and launch her career.
At the end of this school year Lisa will walk, probably not bounce, out of the doors of the still very little school she never left.
Lisa admits the only real warning ringing in her head as she headed over from Sanctuary Point to Bunnaloo was “make sure you never marry a farmer or you’ll never get away”.
For a new teacher it would prove a salient ― and lifelong ― lesson.
On a warm February day in 1990, Lisa arrived and met veteran teacher Bev Rankin waiting on the steps of her new school.
What followed was a few rookie mistakes ― including a run-in with a persistent parent who Lisa hid from in a storeroom ― but Bev said Lisa had already begun developing into the passionate teacher she would become.
“She was always asking questions, she was always energetic,” Bev said.
“She was developing into a wonderful teacher.”
Principal Darren Devereux said Lisa's enthusiastic energy remained a defining part of her 37 years at Bunnaloo.
He described her as determined to get the best out of students and colleagues, and said she had helped foster a strong team culture at the school.
For Lisa, it was the friendships, the students and the community that kept her coming back.
“I had always wanted to be a teacher,” she said.
“It's not just a job, it's a passion. Absolutely love it.”
Over the years, Lisa watched generations of children grow up and move into careers as lawyers, pharmacists, politicians and teachers.
But the best thing for Lisa was when she saw her old students bring in their own kids for her to teach.
“It’s one of the best things about teaching at Bunnaloo, and it really makes me think I’m doing something right,” she said.
Out of the many fond memories, Lisa highlighted the joy on students' faces when they took part in special activities, watching children grow and the friendships formed among staff ― all of which Lisa will cherish.
“I have been here for 37 years and I have had an absolute ball,” she said.
“I am fortunate enough to wake up every morning and love the job I do. I don't look at it as a job.
“I just look at this as hanging out with my friends every day and to teach these fantastic kids.”
Lisa will finish full-time teaching at the end of the year, although she plans to return for the occasional casual day.
And she never did learn from that first warning that rang in her head as she drove to her new life in Bunnaloo.
Lisa married Peter, a Bunnaloo farmer, and will be spending her retirement with him as they travel to Tasmania and New Zealand next year (probably visiting farms).
And while she is leaving the classroom, she hopes her former students remember what she tried to bring to it.
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