Southwest Victoria’s 2023 school captains share their goals as leaders
The next school captains of Geelong and Victoria’s southwest have shared their ambitions for 2023. Read their inspiring stories.
Warrnambool
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The next round of school captains are about to step up to take their positions in Victoria’s southwest in 2023.
The Herald Sun has asked the incoming leaders what their goals are for their tenures and what they hope to achieve for their schools.
Emmanuel College - Warrnambool
SEGDAE LUCARDIE
What are your goals as a school captain next year?
I hope to set an example of positive relationships between students and staff in the college community.
I hope to share the College values of faith, hope and love throughout the community spreading awareness on the beliefs we have as a school.
I hope to give students a sense of pride when they wear the Emmanuel College uniform to respect all who share similar or different values.
What impact do you hope to make as a school captain?
As a college captain I hope to become a role model for all students who want to aspire for greatness, showing a balance between sports, academics and social life.
I want to make sure that all students’ voices are heard, and provide a voice for the unspoken.
Hopefully with my fellow captains we can set an example of positive encouragement creating a safe and respectful environment for all students.
I would like to help remove the negative perceptions on students who aspire to achieve academic success as well as providing the community with an environment of diverse and open-minded students.
EMILY MAHONY
What are your goals as a school captain next year?
I’d say my first aim is to contribute to creating the best possible school year next year, especially considering it will be our year levels last, but onwards from that also looking broader than year 12 promoting a school environment that connects everybody from all year levels, and teachers.
What impact do you hope to make as a school captain?
After a tough couple of years of Covid, I think many feel like we’re finally beginning to come out the other side and I want to encourage optimistic mindsets.
I hope for us to take all opportunities in our stride and learning, because this is something we’ve in a way been robbed of in the past, and something I’m grateful to have back.
I’m hoping to find some ways to improve participation in school activities.
Emmanuel has great events that run every year, such as Emmanuel Day, and it’s a major aim of mine to see the entire school community there next year.
GEORGE STEVENS
What are your goals as a school captain next year?
A goal of mine would be to form a strong relationship with the captains throughout the year in the hope to maintain a connection with them post my time at Emmanuel.
Individually, an overall goal of mine is to develop my leadership skills by working with the rest of the group, so that I can take these skills into my life post-school.
I also have a goal of forming strong student-teacher relationships around the school, to further develop the gratefulness students show towards teachers for the work they do to improve us each day.
What impact do you hope to make as a school captain?
As a student at Emmanuel College, the biggest difference I hope to make is the gratitude for what we have at Emmanuel College.
This difference for me could occur through changing the perception of the burden that comes with leadership, as well as creating an environment where students are respectful of each other and enjoy one another's company,
Or finally, develop a new mindset of students that focuses on how lucky we are to have the ability to go to school each day and learn from extremely knowledgeable teachers, all while having fun with our mates.
I am very keen to develop the homeroom system at Emmanuel College.
I think the morning is the most important part of the school day, and in order for us as a school to get the students engaged and ready to tackle a day of learning, our 10 minute homeroom block of a morning could be improved.
For me, this could be done through much more interaction, as well as a feeling of positivity as soon as one walks into the room.
PAIGE ARMISTEAD
What are your goals as a school captain next year?
To represent Emmanuel College through the qualities of being a good person, not just at school but in general. And be a good attribute to the leadership team.
What impact do you hope to make as a school captain?
Through being school captain, I want to make the connection with younger year level students and older students stronger.
I want all year levels to feel comfortable to come up and talk to any person at the school and feel like they can get advice from not just the captains but everyone.
Every year is different in leadership, because every year there are different problems that need to be solved in order to improve, and that’s not just at Emmanuel, but every school.
With every issue, I take into account a quote I have grown up with is that good things happen to good people.
Bayview College - Portland
BEN CATTELL
What are your goals as a school captain next year?
As a school leader in 2023 my goal is to make school fun and enjoyable for everyone that may include more fun days such as footy colours day, dress up/pyjamas days and more fundraisers people can get involved with at school and around the community.
I’d hope to be able to get some special guests in to be able to run fun activities with students.
What impact do you hope to make as a school captain?
I wouldn’t want to change too much about Bayview but what I would like to add is more spirit for our school.
I want to continue the kind and welcoming culture by just being a friendly face and setting a good example for others to follow.
The issues I would like to try, and stop is the injuries and harm that come from vaping. It is something that I cannot force someone to stop doing I can only be the person that kindly asks them to stop.
I would also like to try and stop disrespect for teachers and other classmates as it’s not fun for anyone when they get put down.
ALIYAH RULTON
What are your goals as a school captain next year?
My main goal for the year is to try and get more kids involved in the school by participating in more school-based activities.
My other goals are to implement more academic and artistic extra-curricular activities and to have events that showcase the talent that is around Bayview College.
By having these goals, I hope to make the school a place that invites kids to participate in a wide range of school activities.
To get Bayview students to participate in not just sporting events, but those that are academic and artistic as well.
My goals have stemmed from some things I have noticed around my school.
What impact do you hope to make as a school captain?
While Bayview College has a lot of sporting opportunities, there wasn’t many events that are catered to the more academic or artistic students.
By fixing my goals around this issue, I hope to resolve it and create a school environment that welcomes everyone’s different interests.
LEILA EDWARDS
What are your goals as a school captain next year?
Next year I wish to create a more inclusive environment for all students. Bayview is already very inclusive so this will be a good challenge for next year‘s leadership team.
What impact do you hope to make as a school captain?
I would make a difference by encouraging the students of Bayview to participate in school activities such as house events.
As I believe this will help bring the school community closer together and bring the school spirit up.
This higher level of involvement will create a safe environment where students can grow as individuals and excel in their favourite subjects.
Bringing people up and being a positive influence for all students will help promote a fun learning environment.
Geelong High School
MARIELE GO
What are your goals as a school captain next year?
I didn’t jump at the idea of running for school captain, as I saw it as a job that provoked my fear of public speaking.
But as I sat on the idea a little more, I saw it as an opening to develop my current skills and grow my self-confidence. I wanted to take the opportunity to better myself and the environment my peers studied in.
The student voice has become more and more valuable over the years here at Geelong High.
As captain, I want to lead by example through my actions, this begins by listening to my cohort and making sure their concerns and ideas are put forward for discussion.
What impact do you hope to make as a school captain?
I intend to encourage my peers to be more open-minded to intimidating opportunities and to find their inner confidence. Most importantly, I aim to make our final year of high school our best one yet.
ALEX AIDT
What are your goals as a school captain next year?
This year, I signed up for school captain because I feel a strong connection to the school community as a whole, and because I believe that I have the ability to amplify the student voice in a new way.
This school helped me settle into Australia with no issue, and I spent my final year of education at SGPS as one of its first school captains.
I then began high school at GHS, where I participated in each annual school production, and jumped at an absurd amount of leadership opportunities.
What impact do you hope to make as a school captain?
As captain, I intend to take on board the concerns and ideas of my fellow students, and ensure that each one is heard, acknowledged, and actioned upon.
I feel pride in my education, and I hope that I can help others feel proud of theirs too.
WILL BIBBY
What are your goals as a school vice captain next year?
I’d hoped since Year 7 that I could be part of the leadership team to sustain the values of our school and help students, teachers and our community to learn and grow.
In my first year at Geelong High, I was offered and took part in a student leadership program known as ‘DOXA.’
In this program, a group of students (including Alex and Mariele) from our school and Northern Bay Secondary attended workshops around the Geelong region that helped us gain insight into the problems in our society and how, as leaders, we could help improve the circumstances of anyone that’s living with bullying, poverty, racism, homelessness and many other prevalent issues.
This program taught me my core strengths: leadership, respect, honesty, creativity and teamwork,
I’m incredibly thankful for this opportunity to learn more about myself and for everything I gained from it, including the motivation to make a positive impact on the lives of others.
My wish is to pay it forward, and to encourage and support other students from any school, to embrace this opportunity and to develop their leadership skills.
What impact do you hope to make as a school vice captain?
My aim over the next twelve months is to strengthen the values of our school community and to improve the learning environment for all current and future students and teachers at Geelong High School.
I will do this by working cooperatively to implement positive changes.
I would really love to reintroduce programs such as ‘DOXA,’ so that future students can develop personal leadership qualities that will prepare them for life and support them to help our school and community thrive.
HARRY JONES
What are your goals as a school vice captain next year?
In my position of Vice Captain, I want to be a voice for the students of the school, I want to be as approachable as possible and do my absolute best in whatever is asked of me.
I applied for the role of School Captain of Geelong High because I was looking for a new challenge and something to contribute to for my last year of high school.
What impact do you hope to make as a school vice captain?
I wanted to help create a lasting difference in the school community to help build on the things that I enjoy so much about the school to improve the experiences for other students in their time in high school.
Sacred Heart College - Geelong
HANNAH BRADY
What are your goals as a school captain next year?
Some areas I hope to promote in 2023 include: Strengthening interconnectedness and a sense of belonging between staff, students and families, as we emerge out of a post-covid learning environment providing opportunities for students to have their voices heard in regard to changes made within the school.
What impact do you hope to make as a school captain?
Empowering everyone/students to make a difference in areas they are passionate about, either within the school or the wider Geelong community promoting inclusion and diversity within our community, to ensure that everyone, no matter who they are, feels comfortable and respected.
ELLA GOODWIN
What are your goals as a school captain next year?
It is such an honour to represent Sacred Heart as College Captain alongside Georgia and Hannah.
This role is an immense privilege and carries with it the responsibility to serve and strengthen the entire college community. It is a responsibility I undertake with pride.
Throughout my time as a leader, I have endeavoured to make everyone feel safe, included and respected at school.
What impact do you hope to make as a school captain?
As College Captain, I hope to empower women to pursue maths and science throughout their school years and beyond.
I’ve had so many fantastic opportunities at Sacred Heart College and I want everyone to realise that everything you could want to participate in or achieve is available to you here.
I would also like work with the Free to Be Me group to promote the use of inclusive language in our school because everyone deserves to feel seen and respected.
It has been fantastic this year to get back to Sacred Heart and back in the classroom and next year I hope that Georgia, Hannah and I can help organise many more fun events and activities for the school community.
If you see me around school, please do not hesitate to come and say hello and I promise to strive to use my voice to create positive and actionable change in our school community.
GEORGIA MCCARDEL
What are your goals as a school captain next year?
Most importantly, I want to help facilitate student voices so each and everyone of you feel empowered to make a difference in our school community.
On behalf of Hannah Ella and I, I wanted to say now, a huge thank you to the 2022 school captains, Zara, Grace and Stella.
What impact do you hope to make as a school captain?
Next year, I want to help make a difference, by encouraging an inclusive community and creating an environment where everyone feels supported and empowered to be their best selves.
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