2020 school captains from Stonnington, Toorak, Glen Iris and surrounds share hopes, dreams for future
They’re often thought of as selfie-taking showoffs — but our next crop of leaders are anything but. We asked Year 12 school captains what difference they can make to the world. Here’s what those from Toorak, Armadale, South Yarra and surrounds had to say.
Inner East
Don't miss out on the headlines from Inner East. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Change is inevitable — but what kind of world do our next generation of young leaders want to live in, and how will they play a role in making it happen?
In our second annual special report on Tomorrow’s Leaders, we asked school captains across the length and breadth of metropolitan Melbourne: “What action will you take to make a difference in your community?”
Captains of 216 schools responded, and the thought provoking and inspiring words of those from our local schools are published here.
A representative group of 26 of these young leaders, featured on the front cover of every local special print edition, gathered with us at State Parliament recently to extrapolate on their thoughts, and meet Premier Dan Andrews, who took the time to offer them some encouraging words to forge their own path as they prepare to take on the world.
One of the most inspiring observations from this gathering was how easily these confident young people networked with each other, despite never having met.
It reminds us great leaders are also great communicators.
MORE:
BAYSIDE, CAULFIELD AND PORT PHILLIP SCHOOL CAPTAINS
FRANKSTON AND GREATER DANDENONG SCHOOL CAPTAINS
LILYDALE, YARRA VALLEY AND MAROONDAH SCHOOL CAPTAINS
LAURISTON GIRLS’ SCHOOL, ARMADALE
Jessica Detering, 17 and Veasna Gunawan, 17
The power of storytelling.
We’ve been brought up in a world where we are cautious about the intimacy and vulnerability of sharing past experiences and personal connections are becoming undervalued.
We believe that encouraging storytelling allows people to share moral teachings and embrace this perceived vulnerability.
Sharing is an important part of being content and confident with who you are, and it sparks others to open up.
In light of this, our school theme for 2020 is Open Book.
By encouraging individuals to share their stories at school, we hope to manifest the concept of vulnerability and nurture open-minded and understanding relationships within our community. Storytelling is not only a powerful tool for shedding light on social stigmas, personal challenges and achievements, but the very act of storytelling can be incredibly potent and emotionally moving.
Storytelling can broaden individual perspectives, empower others to embrace and value their authenticity, and plant the seed of inspiration for many.
Ultimately, through storytelling, we aspire to foster a more courageous, compassionate and inclusive community for future generations to come.
THE KING DAVID SCHOOL, ARMADALE
Ethan Cohen, 17 and Georgia Burstin, 17
Newton’s Third Law of motion states that for every action, there must be an equal and opposite reaction.
Neither of us do physics, however, we both understand that any actions we take in this coming year, any difference we create in our community, will have a reaction that we hope will spark an evolutionary change.
By enhancing sustainability in our school through initiatives such as a zero-waste tuck shop, implementing compost bins on school grounds and launching Waste-free Wednesdays, we aim to inspire our immediate community to reflect our actions.
We recognise that what we do within our small school, and the values and skills we prioritise, will be embodied and mirrored when The King David School students engage with society. Through creating a culture where students are comfortable and confident expressing themselves in a safe space, we aim for our peers to take this confidence and effect change outside of school.
As leaders of a Jewish institution, we intend to integrate into wider communities and learn about other cultures, while hoping to inspire all those around us to be accepting of difference so that collaboratively we can take action towards social justice, equality and climate change.
PRESENTATION COLLEGE, WINDSOR
Bridie Wilcox, 18 and Juliana Neild, 17
In a constantly changing society, valuable leaders are expected to provide a stable source of comfort, trust and guidance to those they lead.
Our school has become a haven for us and to the girls who have come before us over its noble 147-year history.
Sadly though, our school community is undergoing drastic change, through the imminent closure of its gates; so a sense of belonging is yearned for more than ever. This year it is vital for our school leaders to be flexible and provide a sense of hope to our community during these times of uncertainty.
As Presentation College Windsor (PCW) leaders, we aim to bring even more kindness than usual, into our beloved school.
We believe that goodwill, empathy and respect should prosper in all schools, especially ours, as it flourishes for its final year. We hope that by being there for each other, every staff member and student will feel a sense of belonging and value.
We hope that these actions of compassion can continue beyond the immediate school community and be prevalent in everyday life. In order to make a difference, we will endeavour to empower every wonderful student in our school, to feel needed, loved and proud to be a Presentation person.
MORE:
MOORABBIN, MORDIALLOC AND CHELSEA SCHOOL CAPTAINS
MORELAND AND MOONEE VALLEY SCHOOL CAPTAINS
MORNINGTON PENINSULA SCHOOL CAPTAINS
NORTHCOTE, PRESTON AND HEIDELBERG SCHOOL CAPTAINS
NORTHERN, SUNBURY AND MACEDON RANGES SCHOOL CAPTAINS
WESLEY COLLEGE — ST KILDA RD CAMPUS
Penelope Donnan, 17 and Henry Rawling, 17
Growing up in a globalised world, our generation has been able to achieve amazing things, both individually and as a community.
As 2020 marks the beginning of a new decade, it is the perfect opportunity to ask our leaders to enact positive change.
As school captains and leaders of our school, our own aspiration is to develop something that will outlast our time in the role and continue to develop long after we have graduated. In order to achieve this, we must work in collaboration with our peers and the wider community.
2020 began with an immense impact on the environment due to the catastrophic bushfires that have raged across many parts of Australia.
With such environmental tragedies, we are acting to implement and support sustainability goals within our own school and the broader community.
This is just one example of the type of change we hope to achieve.
Within our school, we want to foster a sense of pride in our actions and further support and increase positive learning experiences.
All in all, we believe that the leadership role gives us a voice to represent our peers and the wider community of which they are a part.
THE MACROBERTSON GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL, MELBOURNE
Aishah Brockhoff, 17 and Michaela McMahon, 17
“Leadership is not a position or a title, it is action and example.”
— Cory Booker
Leadership, as we have come to understand it, is about the small things.
A strong leader should not be defined by the prestigeof their title, or how big the change they are able to make may seem, but instead, by the way they treat others, their embodimentof the values that matter most to them and those around them, and the message they ultimately deliver together.
We have come to learn through attending various leadership conferences, courtesy of MacRob, that as leaders, we must alwaysbe reflecting on ourselves, the wellbeing of our team, and our collective vision.
We have stepped into our roles with a genuinemotivation to better our community, by encouraging every MacRobbian to “shape their story”, and continue exploring each chapterof their book.
Though this includes academics, our students are extremely diverse in their interests, and we aspire to continuebuilding a culture of interpersonal support and camaraderie that will enable them to chase these passions to the fullest.
We are grateful to have been trusted by the MacRob community to lead our school, and hope that they will see our leadership as more than just a title.
MELBOURNE HIGH SCHOOL, SOUTH YARRA
Shayan Soroush, 17 and Andrew Wang, 17
When we debate issues affecting our communities, too often do we focus on the symptoms of a disease but not methods of prevention.
Discrimination, drug abuse and general complacency are all common issues that are discussed within our homes and on the telly but what are the real methods of prevention? The issue is not access to education or lack of hard work; it is access to development.
Members of society without adequate access to development, whether that is a parent, teacher or a good group of mates are prone to the dangers of modern society.
Our hope is to make a difference for communities across Australia and to provide that access to development through the means of providing a platform where mentors from all walks of life are able to provide support, references and most importantly development to mentees who need it the most.
Mentees will develop their mindset, decisions and reassess the environment they are in as well as the opportunity to communicate with a mentor who can provide them support socially, mentally and spiritually if applicable. With a sizeable program, we can cure the underlying disease affecting communities and make our Australia of beauty, rich and rare.
MORE:
WHITEHORSE AND MANNINGHAM SCHOOL CAPTAINS
WHITTLESEA AND DIAMOND VALLEY SCHOOL CAPTAINS
DE LA SALLE COLLEGE, MALVERN
Andrew McGaw, 17
The biggest issue the youth today face is that of mental health. Although these challenges may arise from numerous causes, these struggles mean that even the seemingly strongest can be left mentally crippled.
Anxiety and depression are especially common within youth, which is why it is the responsibility of leaders to highlight the issue and call it out for what it is, a disease.
Advocating for mental health is an important role for myself also as De La Salle College is an all-boys school and boys stereotypically do not talk about their feelings, therefore feel confined to battle it out themselves.
This proves detrimental and has the power to worsen the severity of their mental health.
It is the duty of myself and my team to band together and instil a culture within our college community that allows conversions to be more frequent, as the first step in tackling the issue. To ensure this change happens, vulnerability within young men needs to be discussed and demonstrated so it is accepted as normal, allowing them to feel comfortable talking about their battles.
This will succeed in eradicating the idea that depression and mental health issues are a journey of solitude and instead shape mental health battles as a journey of solidarity.
LORETO MANDEVILLE HALL TOORAK
Mia O’Callaghan, 17 and Francesca Zappia, 17
As captains of Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak, we seek to serve as role models in everything that we do.
By identifying, and subsequently participating in various activities and programs that coincide with our individual strengths, we hope to share our passions.
As we approach all aspects of school life with enthusiasm including academic, co-curricular and social justice activities, we hope to inspire in others the idea that anyone can be a leader if they do what they must do well.
To do this, one must recognise and identify their greatest gifts – in any area. We seek to encourage those in our school community to take a step further and appreciate just how unique and valuable their gifts are to create a well-rounded environment.
We want to ensure that everyone contributes their gifts at Loreto Toorak in multiple spheres. For this to be realised, it is crucial that each student feels confident enough to share their gifts with others.
Therefore, we hope to lead by example, respecting our peers’ abilities and showcasing their potential.
Ultimately, it is through the existing and new programs that we plan to introduce at our school, that we hope to help students discover their strengths and to help them feel comfortable enough to use.