VCE young leaders recognised for their tireless efforts on school and community projects around Victoria
AN impressive crop of seven young Victorians has been recognised for their work as VCE leaders in their schools and communities.
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AN impressive crop of seven young Victorians has been recognised for their work as VCE leaders.
Eighteen-year-old Joe Collins was also named 2017 VCE Leader of the Year.
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The Tyrrell College SRC president grew up on a broadacre cropping farm in the Mallee and his country roots inform his leadership.
“Growing up in such a small community, it’s almost necessary that people continue to step up to make sure the place we call home stays on the map,” he said.
“I’m pretty keen on advocating that rural kids are just as important and have the same capabilities as our metro counterparts.”
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And he’s done just that as vice president of the Woomelang and District Development Association, rural youth ambassador for the Country Education Partnership Program, president of the Woomelang Tennis Club and as a local footy and netball coach.
“I just hope that by me going out my way, hopefully the younger generation also sees it can have an impact on the future of a town,” he said.
“Anyone can step up and do what some might consider is an adult’s role as long as you are confident within yourself.”
Joe hopes to study agriculture at Monash next year and continue his community development work.
Woodleigh School graduate Anna Van Vliet said her organisational and motivation skills helped her lead a campaign to change her school’s toilet paper supplier to an ethical company.
She has also volunteered for years at the Brotherhood of St Laurence Homework Club with Sudanese refugees.
“It’s become like my second family down there — all the families are so wonderful,” she said. “My favourite two hours of the week, hands down.”
Anna plans to travel to Europe next year before spending six months in a village in Cambodia where she volunteered in year 10.
She is looking to undertake global studies at ANU in Canberra in 2019.
Camberwell Grammar School’s Henry Wu, 18, could one day lead Australia to space with his not-for-profit Australian Students Space Organisation (ASSO).
“I got really annoyed that Australia didn’t have a space organisation or community so I thought someone’s got to step up and do something so I tried to find other people who had the same interest in space as me,” he said.
Henry was also his school’s co-president of the Rotary Interact Club and prefect for faith and social justice.
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The Elon Musk-eske young man wants to study aerospace engineering and commerce, either at Monash or at MIT in the US.
Mount Waverley Secondary’s Neha Salahuddin hopes to further her passion for science at Monash, after developing her interest working with Cystic Fibrosis Community Care and Oxfam’s National Close the Gap Day.
“These causes were close to me because I witnessed them first hand,” she said.
Neha has helped others from a young age and feels it’s part of who she is. “I have a little brother and he grew up with me because both of my parents were working so I have always helped him with everything,” she said. “I get really happy when he learns.”
Next year the young leader will travel to a village in Bangladesh where her grandfather lived to work with the school kids on developing a formal “student voice”.
Epping Secondary College captain Tabitha Anderson, 18, spent her VCE year advocating for others, at school and within the LGBTQ community. “A lot of students wouldn’t be comfortable, if they had an idea, to come to the teachers and suggest something so being a student I can help with that,” she said. “It’s a drive to help those who don’t have their voices heard.”
Tabitha is also a volunteer at radio station JOY 94.9.
Next year she hopes to start an arts degree at Melbourne University, while supporting the up and coming leaders at Epping Secondary.
Former Afghan refugee Shadab Safa, 19, from Cranbourne Secondary, said his experience led him to volunteering at organisations for young migrants.
“I know how hard it is and what challenges people can face,” he said. “When you can’t speak the language it can be a big obstacle.”
Last year Shadab created the Eid Festival to promote tolerance and celebrate Middle Eastern cultures at his school. He wants to one day start his own company that “puts culture at centre of enterprise goals”.
Braybook College 18-year-old David Trevorrow has been working on getting students on to all school councils, advocating to Victorian Minister for Education James Merlino.
“I feel very strongly that students should have a voice, not just those who are the most talented or the ones who speak to the loudest,” he said.
He was also an inaugural member of the Youth Advisory Group for the Office for the Commissioner for Privacy and Data.
David plans to study law at the University of Melbourne and work in diplomacy or international relations.
● The VCE Leadership Awards are open to government, Catholic and independent school students and are co-ordinated by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority.
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