The Gold Coast Junior Council has been a hugely impactful experience for our QAHS representatives in 2023 and the final meeting for the year left a lasting impression. These meetings serve as valuable forums, consistently delivering informative, engaging, and worthwhile discussions. They offer selected Gold Coast students a unique opportunity to actively engage with and contribute to their local community.
Our four representatives from QAHS have wholeheartedly embraced this opportunity, immersing themselves into the experiences and opportunities provided by the Junior Council. Through their unwavering dedication, they have exemplified the true spirit of civic engagement.
Here, we feature the reflection of one of our Year 11 Junior Councillors, Dante Pellegrino, who encapsulates the essence of this invaluable experience below:
On the 19 July, QAHS Junior Council Representatives convened at the HOTA Lakeside Room for their final Junior Council meeting of 2023. This marked the final Junior Council meetings of Grade 11 Representatives, Genevieve Chakuthip and myself, Dante Pellegrino. Over the course of this program, lessons have been learnt, risks taken, but most importantly, connections and friendships fostered. The Gold Coast Junior Council program has been a catalyst for change in the Gold Coast community, but especially amongst GC youth, providing ample opportunities for every Junior Councillor to get involved in community outreach and leadership opportunities.
This final meeting saw our Grade 10 Representatives, Rihanna Patel and Yanyan Zhang start the day off strong by presenting their Executive Committee and Junior Mayor speeches to a cohort of well over 100 students, teachers, City Council Staff, and City Councillors themselves. Rihanna and Yanyan were both shortlisted to present their pitches to their peers following a rigorous selection process that entailed a detailed written application, and an online interview with the Junior Council leadership team. Both of our aspiring Junior Mayors presented their pitches with passion, eloquence and an unmatched degree of authenticity that was palpable throughout the room. We wish Rihanna and Yanyan all the best as the tallying of the votes takes place, and as they move forward with their Junior Council journey, irrespective of the outcome of the election, Gold Coast can rest assured knowing that both our QAHS representatives will strive to make the Gold Coast a more liveable place as they strive to take action on matters that matter.
We extend our gratitude to Dante and Genevieve for their commitment and active involvement in the Gold Coast Junior Council for the past two years. Their dedication is a testament to QAHS's ethos of fostering responsible and engaged citizens. We wish Yanyan and Rihanna all the best as they continue their tenure with the Council through 2024. We are excited to recruit two new Junior Councillors from our Year 10 cohort in February next year.
Marnie Chetter
Teacher of English & Student Leadership Coordinator