Hume, Sunbury, Macedon Ranges 2020 school captains share hopes, dreams for the future
They’re often thought of as selfie-taking showoffs — but our next crop of leaders are anything but. We asked Melbourne Year 12 school captains what difference they can make to the world. Here’s what Hume, Sunbury and Macedon Ranges’ have to offer.
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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.
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BAYSIDE, CAULFIELD AND PORT PHILLIP SCHOOL CAPTAINS
FRANKSTON AND GREATER DANDENONG SCHOOL CAPTAINS
LILYDALE, YARRA VALLEY AND MAROONDAH SCHOOL CAPTAINS
WALLAN SECONDARY COLLEGE
Will Richardson, 18, Emily Bonaccorsi Hannan, 17, Chantelle Wiseman, 17 and Brooke Smyth, 17
It’s up to us, the youth of today to fight the greatest issues we are facing on a global scale: climate change, political and societal instability.
The time of pushing these topics aside is over.
Our generation is equipped with resources never imagined before, more drive and determination than ever to stand for the future. The time is now, no longer can we ignore the issues and leave it for future generations.
We have surpassed the breaking point; we have perverted modern society.
To lead a progressive society, we must serve the future we have to protect. Experiencing a lack of leadership forces the present issues to be ignored, creating turmoil among leaders and the people who believe in them.
By neglecting the problem, we have ultimately caused more issues in the long term.
The more we talk, the more we protest and the more we won’t settle for nothing, but we will be heard. Serving the present will only lead to counterintuitive solutions.
Hopeless promises are of the past, education and motivation are powers of the future, this is our chance to make a legacy that inspires action in the future.
HUME ANGLICAN GRAMMAR, MICKLEHAM
Noah Barone, 17 and Gihansa Samarawickrema, 17
Stuck somewhere between childhood and adulthood, adolescents have many pressures and anxieties that accompany this transitional period.
Young people carry the world’s problems on their shoulders, leading to criticism that we are too emotional or are investing in things beyond our control.
We strike in the streets hoping to make a difference, put pressure on ourselves to reach perfection and thus become our own worst enemies. According to the World Health Organisation, half of all mental health conditions start at the age of 14, with most cases being undetected and untreated. Further, many youth mental health issues are dismissed as teens overthinking or being melodramatic.
We have been accused of reading too much about mental illness and self-diagnosing ourselves for attention. However, suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15- to 19-year-olds, indicating an issue that goes far beyond attention-seeking.
As school captains, we believe it is necessary to support youth to be well.
This includes educating ourselves to promote positive mental health and wellbeing, as well as working to establish a school environment where adolescents feel comfortable to seek help. By doing this we hope to stimulate a positive shift within our community.
We need to protect our youth, for they are the future of our world.
OVERNEWTON ANGLICAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE, KEILOR AND TAYLORS LAKES
Amelia Velardo, 17 and Myah Newton, 17
In 2019 alone, there were 2,828 reports of domestic violence within the City of Brimbank. This prevalent issue within our community can be habitually overlooked and as leaders of our school community, it is empowering to know that we have a strong capacity to create a conversation and evoke positive change.
Our school understands the importance of breaking the cycle of abuse at its roots and that change must begin with the upcoming generation of students.
As a school, we have already implemented pastoral care programs focused on respectful relationships, engaged students with provocative and inspiring guest speakers who have directly experienced the ramifications of this issue, as well as equipped teachers with prowess, through the Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships program.
Through our own education, we understand that domestic violence thrives on isolation, further enhancing our belief in the importance of building a respectful and supportive environment. We have implemented new initiatives aimed to provide safe spaces for both men and women to interact, such as the development of our new football oval and our involvement in the St Luke’s Foodbank program.
We are constantly seeking to develop new proposals to bring both the Overnewton and wider community together to catalyse an essential societal change.
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MOORABBIN, MORDIALLOC AND CHELSEA SCHOOL CAPTAINS
MORELAND AND MOONEE VALLEY SCHOOL CAPTAINS
MORNINGTON PENINSULA SCHOOL CAPTAINS
NORTHCOTE, PRESTON AND HEIDELBERG SCHOOL CAPTAINS
PENOLA CATHOLIC COLLEGE, BROADMEADOWS
Ellie Tektonopoulos, 17 and Taniya Senanayake, 17
Growing up in a society where the influence of social media is at an highest, we as leaders should have the ability to harness the power of social media, to have a positive effect on our schools and wider communities, as it is one of the largest platforms to bring awareness in our society.
The importance of using such a platform in our day and age has a detrimental play on the way our generation and younger, see the world, access information and turn to each other for support, such as what was exhibited during the climate change movement.
Through the enormity of social media, it has influenced students to take charge of sustaining our planet and act through the climate change debate.
We hope to promote these actions on the many different social media platforms to create a greater change for the future generations to come, because if one person does one thing, it equates to millions of people doing millions of things.
GLADSTONE PARK SECONDARY COLLEGE
Catherine Cletus, 16, Elizabeth Koikas, 17, Tamsyn Kirk, 17, Sarah Wickham, 17, and Letisha Osagiede
Upon hearing the word “leader”, who comes to your mind? Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela? When speaking about leaders we often associate the term with male figures.
We live in a society where women are often perceived as unable to make a difference in this world, especially with regards to leadership. However, there is no limit as to what we can accomplish.
We have shown these stereotypical ideologies to be wrong by becoming Gladstone Park Secondary College’s first all-female school captains.
Inequality among genders has been in the headlines for years, from the gender pay gap to domestic violence.
We wish to take community action by creating safe spaces for women to share their ideas and experiences, and publicly encourage other women to stand for what they believe in and not allow society’s views to hold them back from achieving their goals.
Sometimes, all we need is a spark to start the fire. As a collective, we want to inspire others to reduce the leadership disparity between males and females.
We cannot just hope for change, we must BE the change.
ILIM COLLEGE — GIRLS CAMPUS, DALLAS
Zaynah Hashmi, 17
There’s so much more to making a difference than making empty promises.
Than embedding false hope into our minds and pretending we have a permanent solution.
Through personally being involved in a mental health campaign called ‘You’re Human You’re Beautiful’, I’ve discovered that having the urge and the wholeheartedness to reconstruct our community is key to implementation.
It’s about being proactive and inspiring others to follow in our footsteps.
It’s about redefining our cage-like stereotypes, holding each and every one of us captive. It’s about having a voice and choosing to use it.
As a leader, I choose to innovate. As a young woman, I choose to advocate. And as myself, I choose to speak. Because if anything, I’m scared of what I don’t say.
If we keep suppressing our voices and cries, we can be expected to change nothing.
Silence is erasing our potential to be something bigger than ourselves. What you say matters. So, vocalise yourself.
Because perhaps you can be so much more than you think you are.
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WHITEHORSE AND MANNINGHAM SCHOOL CAPTAINS
WHITTLESEA AND DIAMOND VALLEY SCHOOL CAPTAINS
MOUNT RIDLEY P-12 COLLEGE, CRAIGIEBURN
Zuhair Butt, 17 and Amna Waseem, 17
Leadership is a term for which a mutual consensus cannot be developed, as it holds a different meaning for everyone. However, all successful leaders have one universal approach: maintaining a constructive mindset while taking actions that are beneficial for the community. The resources we are equipped with and the knowledge we have as a generation today, allow us to establish the ideal mould for developing a harmonious community.
Influencing the younger generation to appropriately use social media and current technology to explore habitually overlooked subjects, including mental health issues and climate change, essentially promotes such undervalued topics and creates greater awareness for the next era of leaders, who aim to encourage the diversity in our communities.
In our society, minority groups are usually neglected.
We cannot label ourselves as a community unless we develop objectives for togetherness and ensure every individual’s needs are accommodated. As leaders, we can effectuate such objectives by initiating community meetings and conducting age-group specific surveys, to identify and address the various needs of the minorities.
Empowering members of our community and recognising their concerns generates endless arrays of opportunities to thrive as individuals and become productive members of our community, consequently our ability to remodel the future will increase exponentially.
CRAIGIEBURN SECONDARY COLLEGE
Carol Leuluai, 17 and Elia Haddad, 17
As college captains, it is our goal to improve and maintain a wide variety of curriculums at Craigieburn Secondary College.
We intend on reaching parts of the community that previous captains may not have addressed (whether it be a science program or a more varied breakfast club) and focusing on these parts to raise students’ morale.
We aim to assist as many students as we can by not only being open to discussion, but also through being inclusive and bringing the community closer together.
This may be through exciting activities/competitions between staff and students or simply by maintaining a healthy positive environment.
Over the past few years, we have both grown and transitioned into mature students, and while it is our goal to improve our leadership attributes, we also enjoy sharing our knowledge and experiences with others.
Finally, we have noticed that there are very capable students who need extra support to be able to connect with the community and contribute to the school and therefore we will encourage other students, especially younger students, to develop confidence in expressing their unique voice.
AITKEN COLLEGE, GREENVALE
Declan Harvey, 17 and Zara Ertekin, 17
As college captains, but most imperatively members of the community, we will ensure that our presence is noticeable and welcoming.
We are grateful to be presented with this opportunity and responsibility that allows us to use our role to genuinely make a difference. As leaders, we want to be a positive influence in not just the school community, but the wider community also.
Today’s youth have the pressure of studies, fitting in at school, and with social media becoming ubiquitous, are faced with the pressure of fulfilling society’s expectation of being the epitome of “perfect” via online platforms, which in reality is unattainable.
These factors cause stress and anxiety and we aim to reduce the stigma surrounding expressing how you really feel; for example, the idea that it is “not cool” for male youth to express feelings and show emotion.
Finally, we want to promote self-regulation, self-awareness and self-respect, because if you are not the best version of yourself, how can you possibly help other people?
We should be encouraged to move our focus from ourselves, looking inward, and direct it to helping others, looking outward.
Our challenge, as student leaders, is to set an example for others in our school community, to the best of our ability.
KOLBE CATHOLIC COLLEGE, GREENVALE LAKES
Rihan Rofaeel, 17 and Erin Benfold-Windlow, 17
There are several plans we have explored, and started to implement, in the hopes of the betterment of our community and the people who make it what it is.
While I am extremely passionate about bringing communities together, my greatest passion is making this come to fruition over food.
This passion came through my work towards the Sustainable Development Goal of “Zero Hunger” that I discovered through the Kolbe Catholic College Plan for the Planet Program and the various classes I am involved in.
Through my continuous work at Kolbe (and with Hume City Council), we are implementing a pilot program where by both the SDG would be alleviated as well as healthy habits implemented to strive towards a healthier future for the entirety of the community.
— Rihan Rofeel
At Kolbe Catholic College we aspire to be more each and every day.
In our positions as college captains we strive to make a difference by walking alongside our fellow students. By drawing on the many skills and talents within our community we aim to educate beyond the classroom and target key areas such as online safety and environmental conservation.
— Erin Benfold-Windlow
ST MARY’S COPTIC ORTHODOX COLLEGE, COOLAROO
Sandra Kozman, 17 and Saba Elio El-Cheikh, 17
Having known first-hand the difficulties of balancing both education and mental health, as a school captain I aim to ensure that our community is aware of the value of their health and wellbeing. I hope to accomplish this by establishing an environment where everyone knows they are heard and will always get the support they require, which will not only make them better students, but better equipped to handle the situations life will hurl at them, contributing to the community in a unique and insightful way, which is of great significance to producing the wise, strong leaders of tomorrow.
— Sandra Kozman
Making a difference starts with a pact, an agreement to work in a community; a group of people that share common ideals and values.
This kind of common thinking binds together communities allows the idea of democracy to have a play in everyday life.
Within our generation, teenagers spend a significant time on social media; connecting them via a common platform.
This means that information passes quickly between users and informs them truthfully or otherwise, about the world we live in. This provides schools with the perfect framework for an intranet style delivery system.
— Saba El-Cheikh
HUME CENTRAL SECONDARY COLLEGE, BROADMEADOWS
Luella Martinez, 17 and Bashir Abdinoor, 19
We believe in change, and the positive effect that it can have on our school. We have the potential to develop as a school, through not only staff and teachers, but in particular the commitment of our student voice team.
We will ensure that our student body voice is heard, which will have a positive impact on our school community.
After seeing limited student participation with school activities, one of our goals is to have students involved more in the decision-making. We intend to conduct more surveys in an attempt to understand students’ ideas and concerns.
In response to student suggestions, we will be committed to act upon their ideas or concerns by creating projects, events or proposals that will bring about change.
With our community being so diverse, we also welcome and encourage individuality and the attributes that make students different from each other. It is something that we feel strongly about and would like to implement this year by creating safe places, where students feel comfortable to be themselves.
By interacting more with the school community both formally and informally, we aim to understand their motivation and values. We will use this to inform our future planning of school activities to promote inclusion, unity and diversity.
SALESIAN COLLEGE, SUNBURY
Rick Daicos, 17 and Nicole Brideson, 17
Our generation is made up of smart and passionate people who not only care about their peers but also strive to improve the world around them. We have been empowered by the advancements made by previous generations and as a result are able to stay connected to people all over the globe. These connections have increased the amount of compassion we have for different cultures and beliefs. This is the driving force for us to make change, whether we are standing up for equality, or finding modern solutions to modern problems.
— Rick Daicos
In this age of new ideals our generation is striving for change to support and become more inclusive to all individuals. With the rapid growth of technology, we have never been in a better position to be the drivers of change. Twenty years ago the iPhone was just a sketch in a notepad. Imagine the progress that will be achieved in the next 20 years, progress that will change how we view and interact with our world and the way we live. The passion to inspire meaningful change, that my peers and I have, will drive us through the uncertainty that life holds.
— Nicole Brideson
SUNBURY DOWNS COLLEGE, SUNBURY
Jamil Nabole, 17 and Darryl Defrutos-Roper, 18
Our community faces a serious issue.
Youth mental health and wellbeing plagues many individuals and families. As a school tradition we created a motto for the Year 12 cohort.
This year we chose: “Don’t wonder what if?” As a leader and a captain at my school, I personally take mental health into heavy consideration.
I have a goal for this year: decrease the thought behind wondering if we could do better as a community by helping those who are suffering.
Through R U OK and Harmony days we can decrease these thoughts and allow individuals to feel connected with one another and our community — providing support to student service programs and encouraging safer environments. This year we should not be wondering what if?
— Darryl Defrutos-Roper
Student voice and community engagement are the main focus for the captaincy team in 2020. We recognise that all students have the potential to become leaders and need the resources and skills to do so.
We hope to further engage Sunbury Downs College with the wider community and also want to encourage students to stand up and discuss issues that affect them, from this we hope to work towards finding solutions to these issues.
— Jamil Nabole
SACRED HEART COLLEGE, KYNETON
Bryn Rowland, 18 and Savannah Roberts, 17
At Sacred Heart College, Kyneton, we strive to lead by example with the guidance of our Mercy Values. This year our college theme focuses on the value of service, a perfect stepping stone towards making a difference in our school and local community.
As the college captains we strive to be responsive, to see a need and do something about it – from helping at the local soup kitchen and aged care facilities, to working with charitable organisations overseas – we hope to set an example and encourage others to consider similar efforts to assist in making a difference.
This year we aim to bring our community closer together by bridging the gap between young and old, an action that we feel would have a positive impact for all.
It has been proven that interaction with other people in the community increases your mental wellbeing and decreases the risk of depression, which is surprisingly high in the aged section of the community, often due to isolation.
Older generations are sometimes the best people to be around having skills, knowledge and untold stories, as well as an understanding of the history of the community in which we live. Their impact is invaluable and should not be overlooked.
KYNETON HIGH SCHOOL
Hayden Clapham, 17, and Charrouf Habib, 17
We believe our school values are ideas that will set up our generation to tackle many of the social problems in our society.
Respect. Having respect gives each individual self-worth. By giving respect individuals will earn respect from others. Respect gives us a value to build our lives around.
Excellence. Excellence is a key element of success; it allows individuals to be ambitious and set goals in life so that they can achieve success and can be the best they can be.
Diversity. Exposure to diversity allows each individual to have a better understanding of inclusion. Diversity creates acceptance; acceptance for all individuals as well as acceptance of ourselves.
Sustainability. Taking care of our environments, whether it is classrooms or our natural world, allows for the preservation of our world as a whole. If we can continue to take pride in the ecosystems around us, we can be the change that we need to help create a brighter future for the generations to come.
We have been given a great opportunity as leaders of our school; we can inspire others to make a difference. The fact is that we, and all our generation, already have all that we need to make a difference.
BRAEMAR COLLEGE, WOODEND
Elly Jackman, 17 and Max Hartnett, 17
The position we are in allows us to lead by example, yet we must do so much more than just that.
It should be our job to not only ensure that the young people around us can look to us for advice, care and as role models, but to also guide these future leaders so that they are able to live their own lives with integrity and flourish to their full potential. As leaders we will dedicate our time to working with and supporting young people at Braemar College.
To acting as mentors, helping them to shape our world for the betterment of all.
Our good fortune to be appointed as leaders of our community is a gift that comes with great responsibility.
We aim to take every opportunity and maximise our full potential in our roles as school captains, whether that be by helping a lost student, jumping first into the pool, volunteering with community groups, or carrying rocks to improve a school in Ghat, Nepal.
We hope to then look back on our time as leaders and see that we have made a positive change to our vibrant school community.
SUNBURY COLLEGE
Lavinia Malu, 17 and Aidan Ross, 17
In our school there are many opportunities for students to be involved in leadership roles. As school captains we hope to encourage more involvement in these roles and hope to emphasise the importance of young leaders in our community.
We also aim to strengthen and enhance the relationships between our students and teachers, leading to better outcomes students in our school.
We see a great opportunity in our community to build understanding and appreciation of a range of cultures.
We see that exposing our peers to cultures outside of their own will help break down stereotypes and misconceptions placed upon minorities, encouraging a inclusive community, not just at Sunbury College, but in the wider community as well.
We see great importance in role modelling these ideals and recognise the important roles that schools play in building a respectful and cohesive environment.
As the well-known African proverb goes, “it takes a village to raise a child” – we all have the opportunity to work towards these goals and trust that young people have great capacity to be active and positive members of society.
GISBORNE SECONDARY COLLEGE
Nicole Steward, 17 and Kye Stanley, 17
In the Macedon Ranges there is a real focus on mental health and suicide prevention. In my community of Gisborne there is a strong push to get the conversation about mental health and suicide started as just one convocation could save a life.
The difference that I want to see in the future for Gisborne is the stigma of mental health removed, and to see the continuation of people talking about mental health and suicide in the entirety that it is.
There is a real focus on improving the mental health among the young people of the community; this is a great start but things can always be improved.
The young people of this community need to be exposed to what mental health and mental illness is and be shown ways to cope and deal with such an illness.
The way that I will help make a difference is by continuing to show my support to the people who continue to raise awareness about mental health and suicide but also do my part to help out at such events and contribute to the community where possible.
— Nicole Steward