Celebrating the contribution of social impact: Back row L-R: Leanna Pak (Youth Volunteer of the Year), Roziya Salieva (Community Leader Award), Anika Joshi (Community Leader Award), Stacey Phillips (Geoff Goldman Apprentice Grant), Shabdha Kukunooru (Youth Volunteer of the Year), Daniel Dummer (Beecroft Rotary Youth Director)
Front row L-R: Shreya Mukherjee (Community Leader Award), Natalie Gibbons (Bill Grant Memorial Award), Hasti Rostami (Community Leader Award), Shradha Bebarta (Community Leader Award).
Image: Supplied
THE Rotary Club of Beecroft celebrated the contribution and social impact of local students at the Beecroft Youth Awards on Monday 15 August.
“We are very proud to recognise the outstanding service and achievements of young people who are making a positive impact in their schools, workplaces and community,” said Daniel Dummer, Youth Director at Beecroft Rotary.
The prize for Youth Volunteer of the Year was jointly awarded to Leanna Pak, a Year 12 student at Cheltenham Girls High School, and Shabdha Kukunooru, a Year 11 student at Mount St Benedict College.
Miss Pak participated in gender equality discussions with local high schools for six hours per week over 12 months, leading to the production of several educational videos. “I am looking forward to starting my university experience and developing a career based on helping others and my community,” she said.
Miss Kukunooru helped lead a breast cancer fundraiser and successfully campaigned for the school library to boost its representation of diverse authors and literature. “I wish to give back to my school community during my final year at high school and want to extend that to the wider community,” she said.
The Bill Grant Memorial Award, a prize promoting careers in education named in honour of former NSW School Inspector and President of Beecroft Rotary, Dr William Grant, was awarded to Natalie Gibbons in Year 11 at Cheltenham Girls High School. Miss Gibbons teaches ballet and is also an Associate Physic Teacher at Bjelke-Petersen Physical Culture. In the future, she hopes to attend the Australian College of Physical Education at Homebush. “I would love to become a Dance/PDHPE teacher at high school,” she said.
Beecroft Community Leader Awards were also presented to five outstanding students who have made a significant impact within Cheltenham Girls High School or the wider community, including Shreya Mukherjee, Hasti Rostami, Anika Joshi, Shradha Bebarta and Roziya Salieva.
“Service above self, including in personal, professional and community life, is at the heart of the Rotary ideal,” said Mr Dummer.
