Western Sydney students Madison Wilson and Zachary Payne prove creativity is the real superpower
Forget viral trends – these western Sydney students are making waves with heartfelt guides and stop-motion superheroes stories. Here are their stories.
Two students from a western Sydney school have shown off their creative skills in a national competition, proving it’s not all video games and TikTok dances among today’s youth.
Madison Wilson and Zachary Payne from the Australian Christian College in Marsden Park snagged finalist spots in this year’s Excelencia Live competition.
A nationwide competition that showcases student-led projects ranging from STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) to creative storytelling.
For Miss Wilson, she used her personal experience of growing up with an autistic sister to make a guide for others in the same shoe.
“As a young girl growing up with a sibling who was diagnosed with autism I have watched her struggle with so many things and felt confused and frustrated that I didn’t understand or know how to help,” she said.
“Many of the books my family have given me to help me understand were not presented in a way which excited me, so I easily lost interest or forgot what I had read.
“I brainstormed the things that helped me learn other subjects and discovered that I enjoy fun facts, interactive websites and real-life examples.”
When she was only 10-years-old, Miss Wilson created an entire website dedicated to giving friends, families and even educators the tools and information needed to understand and help those with autism.
She even included links to trusted Australian-reviewed products used by those on the spectrum, such as noise cancelling headphones for those with sensory difficulties.
“I know it can create positive change for children living with Autism because their friends and siblings will have a better understanding and even some tools to try and help them,” Miss Wilson said.
In between studying for his HSC, Mr Payne managed to squeeze in time to create his very own LEGO movie featuring the Dark Knight, Batman.
“I knew I wanted to do a stop motion, like a comic book onomatopoeia,” he said.
“I didn’t know Batman would be the idea first, but I knew the basic premise of like a comic book adaptation using LEGO.
“So when I settled on Batman, I went in and explored every piece of Batman media I could find. I looked at comics, I looked at like the 60s show, the 90s animated series, and all the movies.”
After spending countless weeks using programs to add in the automatic text, filming in 15 frames per second, and even getting his mates to voice act, Mr Payne had his film finalised.
However this hasn’t stopped him from eyeing his next project.
“I haven’t figured out what it’s about yet, what I’m gonna do for it but I have been jotting down whenever I can a thought process,” he said.
More Coverage
Originally published as Western Sydney students Madison Wilson and Zachary Payne prove creativity is the real superpower
