WESTERN AUSTRALIA
7NEWS Young Achiever Awards WA
2023 Finalists
Spirit Super Connecting Communities Award
Elyssa Giedraitis of Wongan Hills, is committed to connecting smaller communities into one thriving business community. Elyssa created a community project called Behind The Business (BTB), where Wheatbelt businesses can promote their business, events and job availabilities for free and find educational resources to help and grow their business. In 2022, BTB promoted 93 businesses, 23 events and 17 job openings and posted 32 educational resources.
Jake O'Brien of Kulin, is passionate about improving the community’s quality of life. Jake is a full-time medical student. He is Chair of Type 1 Diabetes Collective, a community organisation specialising in peer support and advocacy for people with type 1 diabetes. Jake conducts monthly meetings with executive members, local community stakeholders and healthcare professionals to plan and deliver educational events in a community-based setting.
Neeka Zand of Como, advocates for increasing well-being spaces. After speaking with people at risk, Neeka initiated and led Right By You, a youth peer-to-peer suicide prevention website to help young people develop the skills and confidence to respond and help a friend in need. Neeka developed the “Aftercare Supports Following A Suicide Attempt” booklet. She also led the Cultural Conversations Forum in November 2022.
Ruby Liddelow of Falcon, is driven by community. Ruby has been an events and youth leadership volunteer and mentor with YOH Fest, Primadonna Productions, Murray Music & Drama, the Making Waves Youth Strategy Forum and other arts festivals around WA since 2010. Ruby is also an independent artist who conceptualised, produced, and directed Bard in the Bush, three summers of empowering Mandurah young people to make Shakespearian theatre their own in a local amphitheatre.
First National Real Estate Innovation Award
Ebony Lane of East Perth, is the social media director of Perth is OK!, an independent media outlet. She leads the social strategy and team to achieve high engagement, continued growth across all channels and effective campaigns. Since Ebony joined Perk is OK! in 2021, its social media following has increased by 420,980. The @perthisok.local Instagram account managed by Ebony has also grown to 86,300 followers.
MyTab of Yallingup, Pro surfing sisters Mikaela and Eliza Greene are making waves in the tech industry with MyTab, the national award-winning hospitality application that facilitates contactless food and beverage ordering. Proudly WA owned, MyTab has excelled with 15 venues and over 10,000 customers. MyTab is positively disrupting traditional ordering methods within the hospitality industry, providing economic empowerment for venues, increasing hygienic practices, convenience and accessibility for all users.
Radiant of Atwell, is a youth-led organisation founded in 2020 to provide young people with the skills, tools, knowledge and opportunities to contribute to social change. In 2022, they developed Bright Generation, a travelling careers education program where young volunteers with a range of academic and professional backgrounds travel to regional schools and run career and personal development activities with high school students.
Swimming on the Spectrum of Oakford, is committed to enhancing the lives of people living with disabilities. Swimming on the Spectrum was launched in July 2020 by providing inclusive aquatic sessions in safe, secure and supportive environments to children and adults with autism spectrum disorder, development details and other abilities. They provide specially tailored sessions and a visual schedule designed with their unique abilities in mind.
Surge Fitness Sports Award
Annabella Thompson of Broome, has represented Broome in state and national competitions in multiple sports over the last 12 months. She Trains in athletics, Jui Jitsu, boxing, and football. She took home twenty-three medals in athletics alone and In November 2022, she broke the Discus Throw Record at the NT Athletics State Championships. She is a community Junior coach for multiple sports within the Kimberley Community.
Cruz Hogan of Osborne Park, is an elite Javelin Thrower. In 2022, Cruz represented Australia at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA. He also won gold at the Oceania Championships with a new personal best and Championship record. Cruz is currently a Western Australian Institute of Sport scholarship athlete. In 2021, he completed his PhD in Sports Science & Exercise Physiology at the University of Western Australia.
Emma O'Driscoll of Como, is an AFLW player who has been named to the 22under22 AFLW team for the third time in four seasons. Within the last four years, Emma has played 35 AFLW games and completed a 4-year physiotherapy degree at Curtin University. She works as a Support Worker with an NDIS Provider and coaches AFLW youth girls at FFC and Santa Maria College.
Kayden Minear of Carabooda, is a junior motocross rider who has won nine Australian titles in his junior career. He won the Australian Pro Mx 2022 Championship, where he competed against seniors while still a junior. Kayden has been selected to ride as a professional KTM rider in 2023. Kayden trains with an elite coach. He has assisted in helping children with their riding skills.
Riverbank Estate Restaurant Tourism and Hospitality Award
Alana Hammond of Victoria Park, is the Business Development Manager of Visit Mandurah, the tourism body for Mandurah and its surrounds. She has worked alongside stakeholders to support growth, positioning Mandurah as a great place to live, visit and do business in. One of her major projects was the Mandurah50 campaign, which offered a 50% discount on bookable tourism offerings during a quiet period in Mandurah.
James Higgs of Treeby, Head Chef at Lulu La Delizia, a pasta and wine bar specialising in premium pasta. After starting in 2017 and working his way up, James stepped into the Head Chef position in 2021. Whilst managing all aspects of the kitchen James prides himself on driving the exceptional workplace culture of Lulu’s. James led the kitchen whilst Lulu’s was awarded two “Restaurant of the Year” awards in ‘22.
Phoebe Tan of Perth, conceptualised Lume Collective Perth, a multidisciplinary art exhibition envisioned to create a space for young creatives targeting taboo topics and sharing stories through art. In January 2022, they launched Lume - Collective One, which enabled young Christian creatives to tell their mental health stories through art. Phoebe was its acting director, curator and designer. They welcomed 400 visitors during the one-week exhibition.
Tijuana Rocco of Busselton, strives for a sustainable future. Tijuana is the venue manager at TapHouse, a hospitality venue of Rocky Ridge Brewing Co. She oversees the customer-facing aspect of the business, ensuring that the venue is welcoming, warm and inviting. Tijuana organises charity events and donation drives, team meetings focused on staff well-being, and local musicians’ performances. She promotes recycled packaging and carbon neutrality.
Masonic Care WA/Freemasons WA Community Service and Volunteering Award
Ben Healy of Wembley, founded Give Write, a charity that takes donations of new and used school stationery to recycle, repackage, and re-gift to kids in need in WA. As of December 2022, they have distributed almost 10,000 Give Write Packs. Ben’s roles include delivering and collecting donations to schools, conducting presentations, and hosting the Free Teachers’ Store for teachers who visit Give Write.
Drisana Levitzke-Gray of Balga, is a lifelong advocate and activist for the Deaf community, having served on numerous boards since age 16. She spent a decade on the board of the Western Australian Association of the Deaf and volunteered as an ambassador with Our Watch, Full Stop Foundation, and Deaf Australia. Drisana consistently finds time in her busy schedule, including fostering 15 cats with Cat Haven WA during her university studies.
Lucy Stronach of West Leederville, is a Program Manager at the Minderoo Foundation working to reform the youth justice system. Previously, she was a Youth Programs Officer in Local Government where she created several initiatives for young people. Lucy volunteers with the Hello Initiative to create better outcomes for youth involved with the justice system and from 2020-21 was the Australian Youth Representative to the UN and Vice President of UN Youth WA.
Tara Lord of Yokine, uses Animal-Assisted Therapy to provide support to those in need. Tara and her adopted dog, Loki, travelled to Melbourne to be accredited as a therapy team. They have since visited mental health facilities, disability group homes, homeless housing, schools, and more. As a result, a mental health hospital saw a 29% decrease in PRN medication since the therapy was run.
Catholic Education Young Leadership Award
Drisana Levitzke-Gray of Balga, is a dedicated advocate for Deaf human rights and a strong leader for the community. Serving on the board of Western Australian Association of the Deaf for a decade, she champions accessible information and events in Auslan, always challenging the preconceived misconceptions of Deaf people’s ability to lead independent and successful lives. Her inspiring leadership inspires others to make each day better than the last.
Samuel Thomas of Gosnells, Founded Sam's Spares, a not-for-profit organisation that refurbishes and repairs discarded computer electronics and provides them free of charge to the most vulnerable members of society through its Peer-Partner network. Sam also offers one-on-one mentoring for neurodivergent individuals, teaching repair and refurbishment skills and empowering them for future employment. Sam's Spares positively impacts the environment and communities by bridging the gap between e-waste and people in need.
Tara Lord of Yokine, is a leader for Armed for Life, which aims to reduce shame and stigma around mental health, break down barriers, become a leader in the community and support others through mental health. She is also a Youth Ambassador for the Mental Health Foundation of Australia. Tara has created an initiative that uses animal-assisted therapy to provide support to those in need.
Wil Massara of Bunbury, launched Youth Leadership Academy Australia (YLAA) with a decision to start fighting for young people and our future at 15 years old. Over the past five years YLAA has positively impacted over 50,000 young people empowering them to lead themselves, their schools and our communities across Australia. In late 2022, he transformed YLAA into a social enterprise, with 100% of the profits funding youth suicide prevention.
National Indigenous Times Indigenous Community Leadership Award
Braedan Taylor of Broome, is the first Indigenous male ranger coordinator in the Kimberley region and the youngest to have the role. He has been working in the country for seven years. Braedan has led in remote field work and collaborated with scientists, state government agencies and other experts in a two-way science and knowledge exchange. He is an all-rounder in remote rescue and recovery.
Cohen Taylor, is a WA Police Force member. He has organised men’s and women’s basketball teams from Morawa. He is a facilitator of the Youth In Emergency Services Program, where he teaches about emergency services. He is also a facilitator of the Morawa Blue Light Unit, running events for local youth to ensure they remain active and feel valued by the community.
Jacob Collard of Midvale, has been an Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committee member. He has implemented policies, processes and programs in the prisons and helped build the capability of Aboriginal Services. Jacob also mentors probationary constables to be good police officers. He is also a lead dancer for Djoona and has led many traditional dances for his family and children in the care of the state.
Jofrarn Hunter of Derby, has worked as a Kununnura Development Officer with Garnduwa Amboorny Wirnan. She utilized her passion for sports to become a positive role model. Together with her then-boss, JoFrarn serviced remote communities, running sports and activities for children in remote Aboriginal communities. In 2022, she moved to Derby and has stepped up into a higher role to manage other young people who are starting their career journey with Garnduwa.
Awards Australia Small Business Achiever Award
Aroha Care Group of North Perth, is driven by a passion for caring for the community. Aroha Care Group was launched in October 2020 as a staffing agency for the Aged Care Industry. Aroha Care Group connects healthcare professionals, organisations, and people to provide end-to-end recruitment healthcare solutions. They have comprehensive experience in the placement of industry personnel. In 2022, they opened a branch in Sydney, NSW.
Elyssa Giedraitis of Wongan Hills, created EJG Creative after seeing that not enough rural and regional businesses were using the Internet to its full potential. She currently offers a range of social media services including full management, curated strategies, social media audits, and content creation. Elyssa invests in education to offer the best services. Since 2019, EJG has helped over 60 regional and rural small businesses.
Fly2 Health Group of East Perth, is committed to bringing healthcare to the doorstep. Fly2 Health is a regional and remote service-only healthcare organisation. They operate their own fleet of aircraft and have four in-house health professions: physiotherapy, psychology, speech therapy and occupational therapy. They currently serve over 30 rural locations, including three remote Aboriginal communities in Western Australia and Queensland, and engage over 40 clinical staff.
Madelines Jewellery by Design of Bunbury, is a manufacturing jeweller, gold and silversmith, diamond setter and designer who started her business from home in March/April 2020, when Covid started. She also sells direct to the public online or through her retail store/workshop, where clients can even watch her work. Madeline now has two employees. She is environmentally conscious and committed to using only ethically sourced stones.
Inspirational Australians Podcast Regional Service Award
Grace Crogan of Maylands, advocates for the value of arts offerings in regional places. Grace is a volunteer Executive Board Director and Secretary for Regional Arts WA and Chair of its Youth Sub Committee. She gathers voices of regional young people around the challenges they experience in their unique communities, access barriers, and their needs that can be addressed through arts and cultural activities.
Jessica Bikaun of North Perth, works with beekeepers throughout WA to improve bee health. For almost a decade, she has been an ambassador for bee research and biosecurity through the Bee Industry Council of WA and UWA. As our State’s Bee Biosecurity Officer at DPIRD, Jess delivers research-informed training on managing bee pests and diseases. This year, she's set to receive her doctorate for her significant contribution to the science of bee biosecurity.
Joshua Patrick of Northam, has delivered motivational talks on pride, inner strength, resilience, and leadership to disengaged students. He has presented at TedX and Carers WA Conference. Joshua has volunteered with Telethon Kids Institute, Youth Advisory Council of WA and Australian Youth Affairs Coalition. He has also been a formal ambassador for Carers WA, Carers Australia, Perth Children’s Hospital, Kalparrin and Valuing Children Initiative.
Tom Price Emergency Service Cadet Corps of Tom Price, is passionate about making the community safer. Developed by CadetsWA, the Cadet program teaches 11-18-year-olds life skills pertaining to emergency services. Around 1,800 students have gone through the program since 2000. Over the past 10 years, this unit has completed over 30,000 community service hours in Tom Price and Paraburdoo communities. It has also raised money for nine defibrillators.
2022 Finalists
Spirit Super Create Change Award
• Elizabeth Knight, 22 of Mount Lawley
• X5 Academy, 25 of Dalyellup
• Tom Oliver, 20 of White Gum Valley
• Hayley Passmore, 29 of Mount Lawley
First National Real Estate Innovation Award
• Alexis McDonald, 19 of Bunbury
• Joel Pearson, 18 of Drummond Cove
• Tara Lord, 23 of Yokine
• Tyrown Waigana, 25 of Wellard
Surge Fitness Sports Award
• Nina Kennedy, 24 of Peppermint Grove
• Hayden Hopewell, 20 of Palmyra
• Emily Suvaljko, 21 of Byford
• Laura Byrnes, 27 of Myaree
Riverbank Estate Restaurant Food and Beverage Excellence Award
• Emily Jones, Republic of Fremantle, 27 of Orelia
• Mix Haus, 29 of Perth
• Jiann Woei Yeo, Balthazar, 23 of Perth
Masonic Care WA/Freemasons WA Community Service and Volunteering Award
• Lucy Stronach, 26 of Beeliar
• Jack Anderson, 21 of Applecross
• Isabella Choate, 23 of Bentley
• Kay Barnard, 25 of Bayswater
Catholic Education Young Leadership Award
• Tara Lord, 23 of Yokine
• Amy Astill, 20 of Kalgoorlie
• Sia Spark, 29 of East Perth
• Kay Barnard, 25 of Bayswater
Pan Pacific Perth Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Award
• Alana Hammond, 28 of Victoria Park
• Katlyn Yeeda, 25 of Derby
• Jessica Howell, 29 of Lockyer
• Phoebe Tan, 26 of Perth
Awards Australia Regional Service Award
• Darcie Jolly, 21 of Merredin
• Kohbi Barrow, 12 of Port Hedland
• Chloe Gault, 28 of Brookton
• Madison Lane, 10 of Meekatharra
Qoin Small Business Achiever Award
• Alkira Hansen, 12 of Aveley
• Micaela Rafel, Young Women Against Sexual Violence, 24 of Yokine
• Talitha Huston, 18 of Gidgegannup
• Blake McFarlane, Blake's Chooks and Eggs, 16 of Forest Hill
2021 Finalists
Catholic Education Young Leadership Award
• JoFrarn Hunter, 20 of Kununurra is committed to building sustainable programs that will benefit her community. JoFrarn works as Kununurra Development Officer with Garnduwa Amboorny Wirnan, a Kimberley grassroots Aboriginal organisation. Utilising her passion for sports, she runs sports activities for children in remote Aboriginal communities. JoFrarn was a Sports Captain and team captain of the girls’ basketball team, winning MVP overall. She has undergone training in infection control, Covid-19 Indigenous Health and the Liyan Natural Helpers Program, a suicide prevention program. In August 2020, she coordinated the Deadly Diva Day, which aims to connect young girls with local service providers in a culturally safe way.
• Sophie Stewart, 26 of Burswood is the Campaign Director working with guidance from Aboriginal chairpersons for Social Reinvestment WA, a coalition of not-for-profits working to end the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the justice system. They released a podcast amplifying lived experiences and launched an initiative, ‘Olabud Doogethu’, resulting in new jobs and reduced burglaries. During Covid-19, Sophie coordinated 36 organisations to ensure the safety of people inside WA prisons and at-risk young people on the streets. Sophie is also the Founder and Director for Swim for Refugees, a non-profit that teaches people from the refugee and asylum seeker community to swim
• Alex Tang, 29 of Mount Pleasant is a neuroscientist at the University of Western Australia. He leads a team of researchers who investigate methods of promoting healthy brain ageing. Since 2012, Alex has taught over 1,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students in WA and six students in Japan. He provides advanced technical training and advice to young researchers and students. A passionate advocate of STEM, Alex has volunteered his time to promote STEM in many community engagements, such as the Australian Brain Bee. Alex is a member of the Australasian Neuroscience Society’s Early and Mid-Career researcher committees and the Australian Academy of Science’s Brain Science Network Steering Committee
• Eloise McGinnity, 25 of Inglewood was selected to represent the Bachelor of Health Promotion and the School of Health Science student body through committees at The University of Notre Dame. She is also on the Notre Dame Student Association, helping implement health promotion events and attending prospective student events. Eloise has volunteered to become First Deputy Chair on the Notre Dame Welfare Committee. She was a camp counsellor and dorm leader at Camp Kulin, motivating and encouraging at-risk youth to persevere, persist and build confidence. In 2015, Eloise suffered from depression and anorexia that nearly cost her life, inspiring her to pursue a career in health promotion
Masonic Care WA/Freemasons WA Community Service and Volunteering Award
• Zahra Al Hilaly, 20 of Mirrabooka has worked at the Youth Affairs Council of Western Australia, helping establish the first Youth Recovery Framework for Covid-19, consulting young people on their thoughts for building a better state post-Covid. A young woman coming from a migrant background, Zahra helped further develop the National Youth Settlement Framework, to educate settlement services on how to work with young people with migrant and refugee backgrounds, and the “100 Cultures, 1 Country” Framework, which trains them to become active citizens and leaders. Zahra is the WA Youth Ambassador for Youth Week 2021. She represents Australia on the United Nations Youth Task Force
• Jack Anderson, 20 of Applecross founded ThrivED, where he brought together talented writers to author Year 12 textbooks. Proceeds from every two sales are used to produce a third textbook for students who would benefit from the same resource. Jack is also the General Manager at Ignite Mentoring. He dedicates his personal time to help run weekly classes to give students the self-confidence to tackle life head-on and develop crucial soft skills. He volunteers with the Rotary of Crawley, leading projects that bring about greater community equity, such as Cans for Christmas, where 60 volunteers collected and donated over 6000kg of food to disadvantaged families
• Layne Dixon, 19 of Hammond Park is passionate about the enhancement of community life. Layne is a marketing student at North Metropolitan TAFE who lives with Cerebral Palsy, but that does not stop her from what she wants to achieve in life. She is a member of Cockburn Youth Advisory Collective, Youth Disability Advocacy Network Inc. and Cerebral Palsy Achieve. Layne has been a volunteer at Gosnells Toy Library and a Peer Mentor at Emmanuel Catholic College. She has been involved in athletics and has been breaking Under-18 and Under-20 Australian records. Layne is now completing a traineeship in communications and marketing at Perth’s Arts Festival
• Andrew Bannister, 29 of Sorrento was born with rare brain malfunctions, including Periventricular Nodular Heterotopia (PVNH), but these have not stopped him from achieving many things. Inspired by the story of Ella, whose mother organised to light up the Perth Bell Tower in 2018 after Ella died of PVNH, Andrew decided that he would organise to light up more locations to bring awareness to the condition, and later, of all rare diseases. In 2020, Andrew organised 35 landmarks in Australia and around the world to be illuminated for Rare Disease Day in February. He has already organised for 50 landmarks to be illuminated for Rare Disease Day 2021
Surge Fitness Sports Award
• Tegan Reder, 17 of Cloverdale is the only swimmer competing in Australia under the S11 category, a classification for blind swimmers. She was born completely blind but has never let this prevent her from achieving her goals. At the Western Australia Championships, she broke eight Australian age and open records. Currently sitting third in the world for the 50-metre breaststroke, she will be trialling for the Tokyo Paralympics in June in Adelaide. Tegan was awarded a scholarship through the WA Institute of Sport and is part of the AIS Para-Development Squad. In December 2020, she was granted early acceptance to study Law at UWA in 2022
• Karen Gregory, 13 of Maylands has been wrestling since the age of 6. She has persisted to become one of the finest young wrestlers in Australia and has trained to become a referee and youth coach. Karen established the BASED Youth Outreach Wrestling Program, growing the sport in WA and expanding into remote regional areas. In her first international competition, Karen won Bronze for Australia. She was awarded “Bravest Wrestler” at the 2019 SEA Games and won Gold and Silver at the New Zealand National Championships, dislocating her shoulder in the process. In 2020, she won Gold at the WA State Championships for Under-13 and Under-15 divisions
• Laura Byrnes, 26 of Myaree is a Late Models Motorsport competitor in Speedway Motorsport (oval track dirt racing) for Red Shamrock Racing. Despite being only in her first season, Laura leads the Rookie of the Year Championship for the Pro Dirt Series after finishing second overall during the Winter Development Series. Laura has been a committee member for the Junior Sedan Racing Association and was a Women of Australian Motorsport Committee member, where she ran the Junior Driver Development Program. Laura received a General Sports Scholarship from the UWA, where she studied Law and Psychology. She has been named a Speedway Australia Rising Star
• Bryony Soden, 20 of Waikiki is a 53-kilogram Muay Thai fighter who has been training in the sport for the past two years whilst working part-time at Woolworths and studying Nutrition at Curtin University. She has had ten fights and has fought older and more experienced opponents. In 2018, she flew to Queensland and won the Australian National title fight for her category. In February 2020, she flew to Thailand for two long and hard weeks of training and gaining valuable experience. In March 2020, sport6s recovery company AXOT began sponsoring Bryony. Apart from training daily at Three Lions Gym, Bryony also trains the local youth in Muay Thai
RiverBank Estate and Restaurant Health and Wellbeing Award
• Effrem Garlett Watson, 20 of Swan View is committed to encouraging others to do the right thing and make smart choices. Effie is a proud Indigenous man who works at Swan Active, the City of Swan’s leisure centres, where he started as a keen regular visitor. Wanting to be involved in helping others achieve their goals, Effie has volunteered as a coach and mentor in programs through Koya Aboriginal Corporation and Binar Sports Association. During his AFL traineeship program, he displayed a strong work ethic and a willingness to help and build meaningful connections with people. He has obtained his lifeguard qualification and helps educate users about water safety
• Trevor Menmuir, 25 of Derby works as the Senior Youth Services Team Leader for the Shire of Derby/West Kimberley. He co-ordinates, plans, supports, and organises a range of Youth and Community-related activities and programs, including engaging in sports and delivering healthy food programs for kids and families. Trevor is Chair of the Youth Network Meetings and the Youth Representative in the Derby Interagency Meetings. He is responsible for voicing issues and concerns for the youth and coordinating programs and solutions in the Youth and Community space. Trevor is a founding member of the Derby Basketball Association He previously worked as the Aboriginal and Islander Education Officer at Derby District High School
• Crystal-lee Dragicevich, 27 of Quindalup is the co-director of Core of Wellbeing. She coordinates and collaborates with the South West community to run workshops, conferences and programs that uplift the well-being of others. She works with local businesses to make these events accessible to the public. In 2020, Crystal-lee conducted various programs for children and adults to educate them on how to regulate and understand emotions and positive psychology. She also volunteers with numerous committees and events such as the South West Health Symposium and is currently planning a Charity Ball in 2021. She runs a business whilst studying a double degree in psychology and human resources
• Asha Holland, 24 of Halls Head is educating and empowering girls. Asha founded Alternatively Healthy to convey the message that what we see on the outside tells us absolutely nothing about how “healthy” someone is. Asha is an Accredited Exercise Scientist who is teaching young women just how important mental health can be. She combines her knowledge of the female body with her own personal experience when she suffered from an eating disorder, body dysmorphia and extreme perfectionism in her teens. She conducts face-to-face presentations and workshops in schools, clubs and sporting clubs around Western Australia and online to inspire girls to kick-start their mental health and self-love journeys
Elders Agricultural Achievement Award
• Hamish McKirdy, 26 of Salter Point is a third-year Agricultural Science PhD student at Murdoch University. He has closely aligned his research to address wine industry needs and identify areas of concern, such as moving away from traditionally used agricultural chemicals. As a result, Hamish co-invented two new pest control technologies. The first involves the application of ethyl formate and nitrogen both as quarantine and post-harvest fumigant. The second is the application of synthetic amorphous silica dust as both a trunk drench and foliage spray. Hamish received the Wine Australia Award from the 2020 Science and Innovation Awards for Young People in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
• Ethan Gellatly, 19 of Woodvale works in the shearing industry alongside his father and has developed his own business in sheep shearing and alpaca shearing since leaving school. Coming from a shearing family, he has been lucky to receive training from his Uncle Kevin, who is a trainer with Australian Wool Innovation. Ethan attended Harvey Agricultural College, where he was awarded 2017 Harvey Agricultural College Farmer of the Year. He has been winning in shearing competitions whilst also learning from other youngsters who are dedicating themselves to a higher standard of professionalism through competitions. Ethan has returned to Harvey to help mentor the current students
• Billi Marshall, 24 of Dongara is a cattle breeding technician at BOS Vet and Rural in Dongara. She was pivotal in securing their accreditation as the only Bovine Embryo collection centre qualified for export in WA. Billi is one of the few in WA to hold an accreditation as a Lay pregnancy-tester for cattle. She is the Chairperson of the WA Youth Cattle Handlers Camp, an organisation that trains kids and young adults in the skills of cattle handling and assessment. In 2020, Billi founded AdvocateAG, a networking group for those in agriculture, to connect and socialise with like-minded people
• Evan John, 28 of Nollamara is a molecular plant pathologist currently completing his PhD in a research group at the Centre For Crop and Disease Management at Curtin University. His research is focused on finding out what microorganisms cause crop diseases and formulating strategies to minimise their impact for the benefit of Australian cereal growers. They are trying to understand how a fungal pathogen called Parastagonospora nodorum kills wheat using a large array of toxin-like molecules called necrotrophic effectors. They exploit these genes by turning its product into bio-tool kits that cereal breeders can use to screen wheat varieties
First National Real Estate Innovation Award
• Lucy Furfaro, 27 of Hammersley has pioneered the development of alternative approaches to treatment of bacterial infections in the perinatal period. Dr Furfaro is a perinatal microbiologist who has begun to develop an army of phage – natural predator of bacteria – specific for common infections during pregnancy. The innovative approach will equip researchers with an arsenal of options when antibiotic treatments fail. Dr Furfaro was selected as the top applicant in the Raine Priming Grants and was recently named an inaugural Forrest Prospect Fellow to continue the phage research. She is committed to community engagement and contributes to promoting STEM to excite the next generation of scientists
• Tara Lord, 22 of Carlisle is empowering people to journey into a better quality of life. After a long battle with mental illness, Tara has created a project initiative that uses Animal Assisted Therapy. She adopted a dog (Loki) from a rescue shelter. Tara and Loki travelled to Melbourne to be certified as an accredited therapy team, one of the first of its kind in WA. They regularly visit mental health facilities, disability group homes, homeless housing, shelters, schools and more. Tara plans to turn the Program into a fully established therapy ranch with rescue animals. She was recently nominated for Youth Citizen of the Year
• Eldin Rostom, 26 of Salter Point is passionately empowering the next generation of medical entrepreneurs. After receiving a scholarship with Accelerating Australia to participate in the Perth Biodesign Project Hospital to generate insights about clinically unmet needs, Eldin was first placed in the Burns Unit of Fiona Stanley. He then attended a short intensive bootcamp in Eyes, Ears, Nose, Throat medical innovation at Stanford University. In 2019, Eldin spun out both ideas from his experience, co-founding two start-ups: Calor Medical, which aims to standardise first aid methods for burn injuries, and Diag-Nose Medical, which aims to combat antibiotic resistance by reducing antibiotics over-prescription for common respiratory diseases
• Alexis McDonald, 18 of South Bunbury is providing a shoulder for women to lean on. After struggling throughout her school life with bullying, self-confidence and fitting in, Lexy realised that she was not alone and many young girls have similar issues. She learned and created her self-funded app called HerHelp, to encourage, guide and support girls through daily challenges. The community has grown by the thousands, with many girls messaging to tell Lexy how the app saved them in their darkest moments. The app allows women to share and read inspirational stories and offers a personal journal feature where girls can reflect on their day
Woolworths Youth Group Achievement Award
• Tom Price Emergency Services Cadet Corps of Tom Price has had approximately 1600 students go through the Cadet Program, which has been running since 2000. The Cadet Program was developed by CadetsWA and has benefited the youth communities of Tom Price, Paraburdoo and Wakathuni Aboriginal Community. The Program aims to encourage the youth to transition into Volunteer Emergency Services in the future. Students who have attended the Program have become leaders of their communities or volunteers in emergency services such as St John Ambulance, Bush Fire Brigade, Tom Price Fire and Rescue and more. Over the past five years, the Cadet Unit has completed over 14,000 hours of community service
• MAN UP of Wembley Downs hopes to create emotionally capable, purpose-driven young men. Founded in 2019, MAN UP is an organisation run by young Perth men, for other young men. They aim to redefine what it means to ‘man up’ by providing small, workshop-style sessions with groups of young men. They hope to change the attitude, approach and language around modern masculinity and allow high school boys to embrace positive ideals over toxic ones at an early stage. MAN UP’s main target audience is middle-high school age young men in years 9-12 but they run sessions at residential colleges in addition. They also run community check-in sessions
• Stryka Fight Team of Northam teaches young people the value of giving freely to make their communities a better place. Stryke Fight Team is a not-for-profit incorporated sporting association based in the Wheatbelt region and coached by dedicated duo Guy and Fi Mead. They provide local at-risk youth with the free opportunity to compete in their chosen combat sport whilst also raising their self-esteem and improving their social skills by getting them involved in community support programs. During Covid-19, they provided over 30 tonnes of free firewood cut and delivered and some 40 odd care packages to the most vulnerable members of the community
• Sparkles and Twinkles Goldfields Incorporated of Kalgoorlie is encouraging the community to embrace diversity and inclusion. Sparkles and Twinkles is a not-for-profit organisation, initially created as a youth project in 2012 by sisters Paige and Maddison Chinnery, when they dressed as fairy princesses at events to raise funds for charities. They now focus on hosting fun, tech free events for young people with special needs and intellectual disabilities. From providing free party assistance services designed for children with special needs to fundraising and assisting local groups like the Goldfields Disabled Sports through advocating, they also supported the petition for a fully funded MRI machine for Kalgoorlie
Qoin Small Business Achiever Award
• Siquoia Olman, 25 of Geraldton has a passion for visually capturing the intentions of her clients. Siquoia is the founder and CEO of Sikoya Design, a freelance graphic designer and photographer specialising in customised logos and branding, print, web and digital design and social media advertising. She has helped develop the face of several small businesses and community organisations in the Geraldton region. Siquoia has also offered her services to charity events through designing posters and maps, along with ongoing brand support and photography. Siquoia studied Bachelor of Arts ( Graphic Design and Advertising) at Curtin University. She has designed a photography book, an example that was kept to be used for future students
• Blake McFarlane, 15 of Forest Hill is providing ethical, sustainable and environmentally friendly chickens and eggs to the Great Southern. In 2019, Blake’s Chooks and Eggs went from being a hobby to a fully operational business. Within 18 months, he has gone from having 20 chooks to over 1,000 chooks and from producing 70 dozen eggs per week to over 300 dozen eggs. Blake has donated eggs to local sporting clubs and the local school to support the wider community. Blake is a member of the Albany and Districts Poultry Club and helps out with judging chooks at local shows. He also uses social media to educate the public on all aspects of chook farming and is looking at sustainable and environmentally friendly options to raising his chooks, such as regenerative farming methods
• Rebecca Brennan of Ocean and Paddock, of Middleton Beach is putting focus on buying local. In 2016, Rebecca and her husband, Trenton, built Ocean and Paddock Albany, with the idea of creating a unique food-based business that is sustainable, ethical, positively cultural, family-focused and profitable. Understanding that consumers no longer want imported and mass-produced products, they reinvented the genre and redefined what takeaway could be. Ocean and Paddock has been awarded 2018 Western Australia’s Best Fish and Chip Shop by the Fisheries Industry Council. They rank number one in Albany on TripAdvisor. They quickly adapted to the Covid-19 pandemic, leading to an increase of 23% in sales
• Kiya Watt Aboriginal Art of Albany is creating art that is reflective of her people and their creation stories, and that strengthens cultural connections in her community. Kiya is a proud Menang Gnudju Noongar artist who specialises in murals, corporate commissions and cultural art workshops. She launched her artistic journey after her twin sons had a NAIDOC event that required them to work on a project together. Kiya’s work has since included the first Indigenous doll to appear on Playschool and a line of earrings that feature animals belonging to the Menang Boodjah land. Kiya Watt Aboriginal Art has been featured in New York Fashion Week
Awards Australia Regional Service Award
• Bridget Mason, 19 of Albany volunteers as a team leader at Disabled Surfers Association of Australia, Great Southern Branch Albany. She teaches and assists people with disabilities how to surf and cooks them a hot lunch afterwards. Bridget also volunteers with the Climate Change Action Group. She was part of the organising committee for the Albany Climate Rally, which led to a Climate Change declaration being signed by the City of Albany. During Covid-19 lockdown, she worked with Albany Regional Volunteer Service, making food and distributing meals for the underprivileged, homeless and anyone doing it tough. Bridget is currently mentoring students at Great Southern Grammar
• Joseph Bin Omar, 25 of West Perth is leading the youth through positive lifestyle choices and mental health educational awareness. Joseph is a young Aboriginal man who has worked in various roles that include Health and Safety at Rio Tinto, Youth Support Worker at Broome Youth Centre (Broome Youth and Families Hub), Peer Educator for Alive and Kicking Goals, a youth suicide prevention project, and Case Manager for Nyamba Buru Yawuru: Transition to Work. He previously worked as Team Leader for Life Without Barriers, a disability service provider, and is currently undertaking a Masters of Public Health at UWA.
• Kohbi Barrow, 11 of Port Hedland has been volunteering since he was 6. He has volunteered to referee soccer matches, coach an Under-7 soccer team and set up hockey games. He has volunteered at FeNaCLe Festival and did a talk at Rio Tinto’s RUOK Day. He has helped out at soccer BBQs and commits to training and playing Futsal and Water Polo for the community. He has handed out lollies at Christmastime and assisted with clean-up at Sam’s Island. At school, he has volunteered with the School Banking, Ukulele and Beat Buster clubs. Kohbi won first place in a City of Karratha competition for photography and story writing
• Tom Wheeler, 25 of Newman is the Manager of Waste Services at the Shire of East Pilbara. He and his team have made significant changes to the treatment process of the Newman Wastewater Treatment Plant after its operations were suspended. Tom identified the source of the issue through data analysis, conducted a water balance model and identified the best method for a clean-out. Tom and his team received the Waste Authorities Waste Sorted Grant, which will engage community members in adopting better waste management practices through tools translated into Martu Wangka, the language spoken by the Custodians of Newman. They also received e-waste collection infrastructure funding
2020 Finalists
First National Real Estate Innovation Award
Tara Lord, 21 of East Fremantle is changing the world, one paw at a time. With a holistic approach, Tara created an initiative that uses Animal Assisted Therapy. She adopted her dog Loki from a rescue shelter aiming to help both animals and people. Tara and Loki travelled to Melbourne to be certified as an accredited therapy team and have since regularly visited mental health facilities, family group homes, disability homes, homeless housing and schools. The program has led to a 21% decrease in medications at a mental health hospital. They aspire to build a fully established therapy ranch with rescue animals whilst supporting local businesses and people.
Iris Smit, 24 of Subiaco is revolutionising the beauty industry. Iris created The Quick Flick, a unique eyeliner tool that combines a wing stamp with a felt tip eyeliner pen. Within the first year, the product earned attention from multiple media agencies and beauty influencers. Iris is an interior architecture graduate who used her skills and own struggles with drawing the perfect winged eyeliner to create an original product design, logo, packaging and website. Her appearance on Shark Tank saw her revenue grow by 5,000%. In 2019, Iris won EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2019 (Emerging Female Category, WA Region) and Momentum Visionary Woman of the Year.
Alexis McDonald, 18 of West Lamington is empowering women to embrace their selves. After noticing other girls and herself go through hard times at school, Alexis created HerHelp, an interactive platform that aims to support, encourage and guide young women through daily challenges. Now with over 3,300 users, Alexis hopes for the mobile App to create a safe space for girls. She has been interviewed on ABC radio and has talked on a panel for South West Web Girls about careers for Women in STEM and at the Woman in Technology Conference. Alexis works at a local fish and chip shop and funds HerHelp with her savings.
Jordan Foster, 29 of Sorrento is a Cyber Safety Expert and Clinical Psychologist, known for her work in cyberbullying education and treatment of tech-related issues such as gaming addiction. She founded ySafe, a company providing cyber safety education to families around Perth. In 2018, Jordan educated over 150,000 students, 50,000 parents and 25,000 corporate staff across Australia. She co-authored a digital parenting book, lectured to general practitioners, and was the go-to media commentator about children and technology. Jordan co-developed a psychometric assessment tool to quantify security vulnerabilities. In 2019, Jordan opened a clinical practice specialising in mental health and technology, the first in WA.
Town of Victoria Park Arts and Culture Award
Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa, 25 of Mt Lawley is passionate about diversity and visibility in performing arts. A first-generation Australian Sikh, Sukhjit is a spoken-word artist, educator, performer and human rights reformer. She has gone from performing at the Opera House for the Australian Poetry Slam Competition to performing on national television and speaking at TedxUWA. Sukhjit has been a keynote speaker in forums and conferences promoting the arts and the spoken word genre, including Young Sikh Professional Network Brisbane, Centre for Multicultural Youth Forum and Fresh Words Speech Awards. In 2019, she was co-commissioned to write and perform Fully Sikh, a play celebrating family and Sikh culture.
Eric Clarke, 26 of Leeming earned their Certificate IV in visual arts and crafts in 2015 and had their first exhibition in “For the Lonely” while taking their Associate Degree of Visual Arts at North Metropolitan TAFE. The use of patchwork and quilting in fine arts and other multidisciplinary processes influenced their art. Eric had their first solo show called “I’mprint” at Cool Change Contemporary ARI, where the process of printmaking and repetition suited the notions of crafts and community. Currently a visual arts and design technician, they have represented their work in Perth Institute of Contemporary Art, Fremantle Art Centre and Midland Junction Arts Centre.
Scott Elstermann, 25 of Kardinya is a Junior Australasian Jazz Champion and Youth Queensland Ballroom Dancesport Champion. During his Year 12 WACE exams, he was accepted into the Bachelor of Arts (Dance) at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. Scott has performed for leading dance artists and won the Overall Dance and Physical Theatre Award at the 2016 Perth Fringe World Festival. He was audition dance assistant for Matilda: The Musical, Artistic Team Leader for Ausdance WA and teaching artist for the West Australian Ballet. In 2018, Scott became the first Australian and youngest ever to receive the Pina Bausch Fellowship for Dance and Choreography.
Christopher Dolkens, 27 served 13 months for drug charges. Whilst serving his time, he participated in a performing arts program. He enrolled in the prison’s Justice and Equity Through Art (JETA) program, a Fine Arts program in partnership with Curtin University. After his release in 2017, he started his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and created a short stop-motion animation video during his first semester at Curtin. He furthers his artistic expressions using digital photography, sculpture, print-making, performance art and videography. Christopher continued his theatre and has been in two performances, further exploring self-awareness. In 2019, he won the Rottnest Show Residency Award.
Elders Agricultural Achievement Award
Blake McFarlane, 14 of Forest Hill started Blake’s Chooks and Eggs in 2017 as a hobby. In 2019, it became an ethical, sustainable, free-ranging egg farm, with show breeding and winning stock. Blake provides over 200 dozen of eggs to the Great Southern and uses social media to make poultry farming fun and educational. He held his first open day to the Plantagenet Probus Group and explained what he does when it comes to preparing and showing his chooks. Although dyslexic, Blake learns from doing and being mentored. He is about to be in the Little Entrepreneurs section of a book called Little Farmers by Kim Storey.
Kayla Evans – Generation Ag, 26 of Perth is committed to uniting primary industries. Kayla is a passionate young agriculturalist who co-founded Generation Ag, a podcasting platform that celebrates stories of people working in all areas of primary industries, with a focus on the next generation. The podcast hopes to bridge the ‘rural-urban divide’ while tackling bigger issues such as gender issues in agriculture and mental health. The podcast has so far amassed 3,000 downloads, interviewed over 16 guests and has gained listeners in over five countries. In 2020, they plan to run workshops to teach other agribusinesses how to run podcasts and speak to millennials and Generation Z.
Tiffany Davey, 23 of Konnongorring hopes to make an impact to as many people as possible. Tiffany is based at her family’s 5th generation prime lab and broadacre property whilst working for Dowerin Events Management. She mentors students to pursue a career in Agriculture and has taken part in the Harmony Day Cookbook. Tiffany has launched a consumer awareness App and published a book called “Five Thousand More to Go.” She helped relaunch the Yarak Bachelors & Spinsters Ball. She is President of AgConnectWA and Founder and President of the Royal Agricultural Society WA-NextGen Committee. In 2018, she was named the Koorda Rural Ambassador.
James Bidstrup, 22 of Esperance is helping bridge the metro-rural information gap. James established the KL & ML Bidstrup Scholarship at Denmark Agricultural College to support students financially for extracurricular activities to further their agricultural education. He was selected as a Future Young Leader and spoke at the inaugural EvokeAG Conference. James captained the team that won the 2018 Dowerin Field Days Young Farmers Challenge. He volunteers with the Perth Royal Show, Williams Expo and Eagin Woolarama to improve his skills and support the industry. Whilst studying at the University of Western Australia, he was the education officer of UWA Guild Club Students of Natural and Agricultural Science.
Woolworths Youth Group Achievement Award
Robe River Kuruma Youth Council of Karratha is dedicated to providing support to young people. Following a number of youth suicides, Daniel Farmer established the Robe River Kuruma Youth Council to discuss how to combat youth issues. They have since developed a youth case management team to further youth education, gain employment and seek help. The Youth Council will create a Pilbara Aboriginal Youth Council and work with local and state government to develop a Pilbara Youth Report and Pilbara Youth Strategy Plan as a co-designed solution. The Youth Council has developed a Financial Literacy Program and Life Skills Program and plans to employ Aboriginal Peer Educators.
Tom Price Emergency Services Cadet Corps of Tom Price is committed to community volunteerism. Developed in 2000 by CadetsWA for youth aged 12 to 18, Tom Price Emergency Services Cadet Corps offers a program that promotes skill development and leadership skills through emergency services. The program aims to encourage the youth to transition into Volunteer Emergency Services in the future and has benefitted Tom Price, Paraburdoo and the Wakathuni Aboriginal Community. Over the past five years, 21 cadets have transitioned into the services of SES, St John Ambulance, Fire and Rescue and the Bush Fire Brigade, with the Cadet Unit completing over 14,000 hours of community service.
Youth Diversity Alliance of Success advocates for inclusion. YDA is a social support group for diverse sexualities and genders, ensuring inclusion and providing a safe space for people of the LGBTQIA+ community between 15 and 24 years old. They organise a Pride Event and have helped with events such as the Spring Fair & FROSH Youth Festival. A facilitator employed by Cockburn Youth Centre, where YDA is based, oversees nights and events and a group of Peer Mentors who run activities and alert youth workers when individuals need support. They work in synergy with Cockburn Youth Services and have previously hosted LivingWork’s SafeTALK Suicide Prevention Workshop.
Busselton Jetty Crew of Busselton promotes involvement and a sense of purpose. With a passion for marine environment and conversation, the Jetty Crew is a voluntary group of eight youth leaders aged 16 to 19, with a heart focused on environmental sustainability. They commenced an 8-month youth leadership program that was developed by the Busselton Jetty Incorporation. This organisation manages the Busselton Jetty, a 154-year-old iconic tourist attraction. Collectively, the Busselton Jetty Crew has volunteered 584 hours, benefiting the local community. They initiate and assist in events like Beach Clean Up for Plastic Free, Tangaroa Blue Marine Debris Clean-Up Day and the BJI Annual General Meeting.
Masonic Care WA/Freemasons WA Community Service and Volunteering Award
Courtney Marie Gratteri, 28 of Cardup is dedicated to serving and supporting the most vulnerable young people. Courtney led Back to Country camps and early intervention programs, helping Aboriginal children learn about Nyoongar culture, build confidence and independence and to spend time with Nyoongar elders. A strong believer in the power of education and creating safe spaces, she co-designed Strong Hearts, Strong Minds workshops to help benefit young people’s social and mental wellbeing. Courtney works for a leading CARE Schools for Catholic Education WA and has piloted a Transition to Adult Life project. She was recognised in the Catholic Education Department’s 2017 LEAD and 2019 Young Leadership Awards.
Alex Arnold, 25 of Lathlain has contributed to improving the mental, social and emotional wellbeing of men. Alex created a mobile App called “Well Man” for the Men’s Resource Centre in Albany during his internship with the McCusker Centre for Citizenship at UWA. He worked full-time on the App for four weeks. He continued working whilst at Uni for 11 months, completing his postgraduate degree in Software Engineering. Alex has dedicated 500 volunteer hours on the “Well Man” project. Available on iOS and Android, the App has been downloaded thousands of times in the United States, Canada, India, New Zealand, United Kingdom and Australia.
Maddison Chinnery, 17 of Kalgoorlie formed “Sparkles and Twinkles”, where she and her sister dress as fairy princesses to entertain children of all ages and abilities and support business and community events. Their purpose evolved into a means to help people and advocate for children with special needs and others with intellectual disabilities. Maddison is now Treasurer of Sparkles and Twinkles, Goldfields. They help raise funds for charities and non-profits by selling goods, donating time or participating in activities. Madison has been volunteering at Kalgoorlie-Boulder Chamber of Commerce since 2016. An avid horse enthusiast, she aims to promote horse therapy for people struggling with mental illness.
Ashleigh Gibson, 22 of Bentley is an advocate for children with disability. Ashleigh volunteers at Perth’s Children’s Hospital (PCH), where she had been a patient since she was six months old. Despite her severe Scoliosis and severe lung disease, Ashleigh has been helping kids to be calm and entertained while they wait for their surgery at PCH. She is on the Disability Advisory Board of the new Children’s Hospital and attends monthly board meetings. She has been directly involved in making sure that the hospital is accessible and follows the Disability Inclusion Act. Ashleigh is currently completing her third year of Uni, studying Primary School Teaching.
Tradie Business Blueprint Trades Business Award
Monique Juratovac, 20 of Lesmurdie is passionate about excelling in bricklaying. Monique is completing her Certificate III (apprenticeship) in bricklaying at Celebration Homes as part of ABN Training. In 2019, she won the Group Bricklayer of the Year Award and Overall Gold Medal in the WorldSkills Perth Competition, becoming the first female to win in WA. She was named Bricklayer of the Year and Second Runner up for the 1st Year Apprentice of the Year at the ABN annual Awards. Before starting her TAFE block, Monique was a qualified hairdresser and makeup artist who had three years of apprenticeship and a Certificate III in Makeup.
Leif Coplin, 26 of Malaga is passionate about building partnerships and employment. German-born, Leif began as a mechanic at Stokes and Renk whilst in Year 11. He paid his TAFE fees with his small earnings whilst supporting his family. He completed his apprenticeship at 3MW and stayed on as mechanic and attended training in America. Together with his colleague, Pierre, they started German Motor Works, a Mobile Service Van business. Leif developed his own computer system to repair certain electronic issues in European cars. He is a relief teacher at TAFE and has provided DIY workshops on daily caretaking of vehicles for the public.
Ashleigh Hiemstra, 29 of High Wycombe is helping promote, inspire and encourage females to enter the industry. Ashleigh is a qualified carpenter, registered building practitioner and Owner and Director of a registered building company, Merge Building. Before starting her apprenticeship, she completed her diploma of Building and Construction – Builder’s registration. She spent three years as apprentice at her dad’s business, Banken Building Carpenters. After seven years, she applied for a building practitioner’s license, which led to her forming Merge Building in August 2018. Ashleigh is a member of Trade-Up Australia, National Association of Women in Construction, Fusion Biz Co (female networking group), and Housing Industry Association.
Ivan Darazs, 23 of Perth displays natural initiative and work ethics. Ivan began doing casual labouring work after high school and then worked fulltime for a commercial property developer whilst completing his Construction Management Degree at Curtin University. Ivan started as a cadet at a commercial construction fit-out company and worked his way up to a Contract Administrator role. After graduating, Ivan co-established Veritruss, a commercial construction fit-out business that has turned over $2.5M within the first eight months of trade, working with both commercial and government clients. A committee member at Young Builders Alliance, Ivan received the 2019 Master Builders Ric New Rising Star Award.
Catholic Education Western Australia Young Leadership Award
Courtney Marie Gratteri, 28 of Cardup is a passionate youth worker at one of Perth’s leading CARE Schools. Courtney co-designed and led Strong Hearts Strong Minds workshops to benefit young people’s social, emotional and mental wellbeing. She led Back to County camps and early intervention programs, helping Aboriginal children learn about Nyoongar culture and to encourage time spent with Nyoongar elders. Courtney was Finalist at the Armadale Community Citizen of the Year Award 2018 and Auspires 2020 Young Australia of the Year Award. She was recognised at the Catholic Education Department’s 2017 LEAD and 2019’s Young Leadership Awards and was Anglicare’s 2019 Most Professional Youth Worker of the Year.
Luke Cotellessa, 13 of The Vines is a positive role model for his peers. Luke established “Luke’s Boots For the Outback”, a charitable initiative where he collected and distributed over 8,000 pairs of boots and sporting items to children in remote WA communities and regional schools. Luke is a 2018 WA AFL state player. He is a member of the SMASHCREW Sports Show on Noongar Radio, where he discusses sports statistics, attends community events and performs various tasks including camera management and assisting DJs. Luke has been a recipient of the End-of-Year Principal Award for three consecutive years and Student Leader and Commitment to Learning Awards.
Amber Ramage, 18 of East Bunbury has a passion for making her school better. Amber was selected as Bunbury Senior High School’s 2019 Prefect and Head Girl. She established the Eco Club, encouraging the school to adopt a more sustainable approach and introduced a “three-bin system” for recycling plastics. Amber is a lifeguard at South Wear Sports Centre and a basketball coach of an under 14 girls’ team. She has arranged for a group of 18-year-old students to donate blood to the Bunbury Blood Bank and introduced coat racks to help the homeless. She organised a Year 12 ‘Sleep Out for Homeless’ to raise awareness about homelessness.
Kendall Whyte, 26 of Cottesloe is raising mental wellbeing awareness. Kendall created a platform and social movement called “The Blue Tree Project”, which has helped start many difficult conversations around mental health with young people, reduce the stigma and save lives. They have painted over 350 trees and their message, “It’s OK to not be OK”, has reached millions over Australia and the world. Kendall works out of Riff, a collaborative space that hosts events, assisting start-ups and social enterprises. She has attended a two-day conference by the WA Association for Mental Health. Kendall is a Western Australian of the Year Award, Youth category finalist.
Surge Fitness Sports Award
Tegan Reder, 16 of Cloverdale holds multiple Australian Records in 50m and 100m breaststroke, freestyle and backstroke, 200m breaststroke, despite being completely blind and never having had vision. Tegan holds Open Australian Records long course in 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke, and a short course in 50m and 100m breaststroke and 50m freestyle. Tegan competed in the Australian Open Age Long Course Nationals in 2019. She represented St Norbert College and is being coached to Paralympic level by a college swim coach. Tegan has been accepted in the Australian Dolphins Swim Team Development Squad, the only one from WA to be accepted for 2019.
Mark Daniels, 26 of Wandi displays great mental and physical strength. After losing his leg in a motorbike accident in 2015, Mark decided to see how far he could push himself. Formerly in the Royal Australian Navy, he returned to Snowboarding, Powerlifting, Wakeboarding and Obstacle Course Racing and competed at the 24 Hour World Championships, Para triathlon and Para canoe and became first Australian amputee to compete in Biathlon. Mark has appeared in the Australian Ninja Warrior and was an Australian representative in the 2018 Invictus Games, winning gold in Wheelchair Rugby and bronze in indoor rowing. He won multiple medals in the 2019 Warrior Games in Florida.
Scott Elstermann, 25 of Kardinya began dancing at age seven and became the Junior Australasian Jazz Champion and Youth Queensland Ballroom Dancesport Champion. He has been accepted into the Bachelor of Arts (Dance) at the WA Academy of Performing Arts and has performed for leading artists. He has choreographed short works, winning Overall Dance and Physical Theatre Award at the 2016 Perth Fringe World Festival. He was Audition Dance Assistant for “ Matilda: The Musical”, Artistic Team Leader for Ausdance WA and Teaching Artist for West Australian Ballet. In 2018, Scott became the first Australian to receive the Germany-based Pina Bausch Fellowship for Dance and Choreography.
Rhiannon Clarke, 17 of Kingsley bravely overcomes her disability. Rhiannon has Cerebral Palsy, which means her muscles are tight and weak and easily get fatigued. Despite that, she is a full-time student and elite athlete of track and field. Rhiannon won Silver at the Commonwealth Games 2018, Gold at Arafura Games 2019, and Bronze at the World Para Athletics Championships 2019. She holds multiple national records, and was a 2019 WA Sports Star Awards Finalist. Rhiannon received the National Athlete Support Structure – Athletics Australia and West Australian Institute of Sport IASP Athletics Scholarship 2018-2020. She has completed education programs on nutrition, recovery, personal excellence and mental strength.
Awards Australia Regional Service Award
Tom Price Emergency Services Cadet Corps of Tom Price is committed to upholding a culture of community volunteerism. The Cadet Unit trains every Tuesday night during school term, with many completing other emergency services each week. In 2018, the Cadet Unit completed 3,375 hours of community service and 3,500 hours in 2019, supporting community events within Paraburdoo, Tom Price and the Wakathuni Aboriginal Community. Cadets undergo training in general rescue, leadership, water safety, fire safety and team-building skills. Year 8 cadets complete their Provide First Aid Certificate and Year 7 cadets complete their resuscitation certificates. All cadets complete their Bronze Cross Medallion or Star Water qualifications.
Shaun Kay, 29 of Bindoon is creating awareness around the importance of self-care and mental health. After struggling for years with his own mental health, Shaun created SMILE TEACHERS. The company helps teachers look after themselves physically and mentally. They run workshops with students on mindfulness, breathing activities and exercise all over Australia. Shaun’s online professional development day course can be accessed by teachers 24/7. He helps teachers understand why some students act out and misbehave and gives them tools to support their students. He runs a teachers’ retreat in Bali twice a year. Shaun is a qualified physical education, health, science and maths teacher.
Ashlee Jenal, 25 of Broome is committed to helping the vulnerable and disadvantaged. Ashlee is the Volunteer Coordinator for the Kimberley region, working in Broome Circle, a community and neighbourhood centre that works to develop a thriving, inclusive and welcoming community. She supports, attains, refers and inducts a multifaceted range of volunteers for 26 non-profit agencies that require extra support. Ashlee delivers information and opportunities through workshops and has implemented referral systems to address issues that Broome faces. She coordinates the community verge garden and shares knowledge about harvesting seasonal produce to disadvantaged community members to assist with food security. Ashlee hopes to establish youth mentoring programs.
Claudia Nagy, 25 of Kambalda believes confidence is the key to succeeding in life. As Director of One Tree Kambalda Children’s Service in Goldfields, Claudia builds relationships with families, children, staff and the broader community. She has led the curriculum planning to deliver quality care to children and promotes inclusion support. As part of the local modelling academy, Claudia teaches young girls confidence and the fundamentals of runway and photographic modelling, assisting the girls during performances and also conducts local artists workshops. She has set up a donations box for the local S.A.F.E. Kalgoorlie at the centre to donate to the local animal charity for Christmas.
2019 Finalists
Surge Fitness Sports Award
Rahul Jegatheva, 17 of Joondanna is an award winning multi-sport athlete. He won gold in 2017 and silver in the 2018 International Triathlon Union World Aquathlon Championships. He represented Australia five times at the Youth Scrabble World Championships, finishing 25th in 2017. Rahul won eight gold medals in the WA Open Water race series in 2015-2016 and qualified for the National Championships in Open Water Swimming and Cross Country Running from 2016-2018. Apart from excellence in sports and academics, Rahul also volunteers as a mentor for junior triathletes, swimmers and scrabble players. He was House Captain and International Swimming Captain at Perth Modern School until graduating in 2018.
Brianna Throssell, 22 of City Beach is a champion swimmer. She won gold in the 2018 Commonwealth Games and made Commonwealth games record in the 4 x 200m Freestyle and won bronze in the100m butterfly. She was a finalist in the 200m at the 2016 Rio Olympics, finishing 8th overall. Brianna won six medals at the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympics and finished 4th at the 2015 World Championships in Russia. She was named Western Australia’s Swimmer of the Year in 2015, 2016 and 2018. Brianne is an advocate of the Notre Dame and Elite Athlete Program. She dreams of becoming a Physiotherapist and a Doctor.
Mark Daniels, 25 of Baldivis is an inspirational sportsperson with a disability. He was employed in the Navy when a motorcycle accident left him fighting for life and lost most of his right leg. Becoming an above the knee amputee did not stop Mark from re-learning to walk and run. He made his Para-triathlon debut at the Oceania Championships, placing third and qualifying for the Para-triathlon World Cup and is training to compete in the Paralympics in 2020. Mark competes in weightlifting, powerlifting, wheelchair basketball and obstacle races. He is first Australian Lower Limb Amputee to compete the Spartan Races full trifecta weekend.
Rhiannon Clarke, 16 of Kingsley is an exceptional para-athletic. She began in 2014 after a para-athletics “come try day” and broke the first of many national records in 2016. In 2017, she gained her first qualifier for the Commonwealth Games at the Australian Junior Nationals. Rhiannon was placed second in the ambulant 100m at the Australian Open Nationals and was named in the Australian team in the Commonwealth Games where she won silver. Rhiannon volunteers at Riding for the Disabled and the Variety Youth Choir. She has won several awards and scholarships including the WA Institute of Sport Athletics Scholarship and the National Athletic Support Structure.
Masonic Care WA/Freemasons WA Community Service and Volunteering Award
Tayla Byatt, 22 of Perth has a passion for helping the homeless. She is co-founder and current project leader of uneARThed, a not-for-profit social enterprise supporting individuals experiencing homelessness, to sell artworks and provide a platform to share their stories to the community. Under her leadership, uneARThed has supported 12 artists and raised almost $2,000. Tayla and her team are looking to expand by printing the artwork onto shirts and educating students about homelessness in Perth. She attends workshops and events like the “10 Year Plan to End Homelessness’ campaign. Tayla also volunteers for the Humanitarian Group, helping domestic violence victims and refugees.
Dean Morris, 15 of Thornlie is an advocate for stray animals. He founded Give Our Strays A Chance (GOSAC) at the age of 10, to raise awareness of WA’s animal rescue organisations and educate the public about adopting and rescuing stray animals. GOSAC has saved countless strays and raised over $12,000 and received thousands of donated items. Dean is an RSPCA WA Junior Ambassador and won the 2018 RSPCA WA Youth State Award. He also received the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and Most Outstanding Junior Cadet at the Australian Air Force Cadets. Recently, Dean volunteered to help renovate a school in Mongolia.
Pheobe Ho, 22 of Atwell is a passionate mental health advocate, driven by her experience of eating disorders. In 2018, she shared her story of hope in recovery to 2,000+ Australians, while upskilling clinicians in eating disorders. Pheobe does social outreach and builds healthy policies locally with headspace Fremantle, while being involved in strategic planning and developing national initiatives on the headspace National Reference Group. As 2018 UWA Guild Welfare Officer, she ran 30+ mental health initiatives that reduced stigma—including a Men’s Mental Health Breakfast, and securing $3,000 for the Food Pantry, supporting students living with poverty. Her contributions to student wellbeing saw her receive the Cruickshank-Routley Memorial Prize.
Jilen Patel, 29 of Sorrento is a paediatric dentist committed to helping the vulnerable and disadvantaged. He supports families in remote Aboriginal communities, homeless people, refugees in the Perth metropolitan area and children with complex medical needs. He developed the Kimberley Dental Team, providing oral health education and volunteer-based dental services to cohorts across WA. Jilen spearheaded the implementation of ‘Strong Teeth for Kimberley Kids School’ tooth brushing program. He developed a multidisciplinary oral health education and prevention program for resettled refugee children. Jilen also pioneered the use of digital technology to better facilitate the surgical repair of neonates with a cleft lip and palate.
WAFarmers and Rural Bank Agriculture Award
Daisy Goodwin, 23 of Broome has a passion for the environment and sustainable agriculture. She works in rural north WA with Aboriginal agricultural businesses and has to date, organised seven capacity building workshops, written 16 grants and award applications for her clients worth $1.1 million and had 28 articles published. Whilst studying environmental science, she completed self-funded research trips to rural areas in QLD and NSW. Daisy is employed as a graduate development officer for the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development in the Aboriginal Economic Development Program. She also volunteers with Kiva, a not-for-profit organisation offering micro-loans to mostly agricultural businesses in developing countries.
Mariah Maughan, 24 of Djugun is dedicated to helping improve the northern beef industry after working as a jillaroo on a cattle station in West Kimberley. Having completed a double degree in Animal Science and Animal Health and with her working knowledge, Mariah secured a role as Development Officer for Northern Beef Development. She develops and manages weed risk and agronomy trials in irrigated and non-irrigated areas and facilitated a Business Improvement Grant program available to farmers in the Kimberley and Pilbara regions. Mariah volunteers as Secretary on the Broome Rodeo Committee and supports and contributes to industry social events for pastoralists to connect with neighbours.
Roly Poly Farm, 26 of Gidgegannup is a small-scale market garden founded by Melissa Carlick and Declan McGill who are both passionate about re-localising the local food economy. Since its founding, Melissa and Declan have established themselves as key members of the Perth food scene, providing consistent, seasonal, local produce. Roly Poly Farm promotes regenerative agricultural practices, consumer-direct sales, a Community Supported Agriculture Vegetable Box Subscription and grow and preserve heirloom varieties. Melissa and Declan hope to see prime farmland preserved and more young farmers taking on the responsibility of feeding their communities and their soil.
Tiffany Davey, 22 of Konnongorring is an advocate for Australia’s agricultural industry and its young people. Whilst working in her family’s farm, she mentors science and technology students, encouraging careers in agriculture. Tiffany has written a children’s book, was involved with the Harmony Day cookbook and launched a consumer awareness App. She also launched the Young Farmers Challenge, Next Gen WA and the Experience Agriculture Hub, involving over 500 students. She re-launched the Yaraka BnS ball, providing funds to Tie Up the Black Dog and the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Tiffany was 2018 Koorda Rural Ambassador and guest speaker at the Australian Women in Agriculture conference.
The Diamond Club Online Achievement Award
DrawHistory, 27 of Subiaco works to empower the vulnerable and destigmatise tough conversations. DrawHistory is a strategic design agency amplifying the impact of change-makers by partnering with non-profits and social enterprises in telling their stories and breaking down barriers. They helped The Humanitarian Group raise almost $100,000 in their crowdfunding campaign to keep their legal clinic open, and worked with the Museum for Freedom and Tolerance, to activate their community engagement strategy. DrawHistory has worked with over 100 organisations including UNICEF Australia and the Centre for Social Impact. It has been recognised as 2018 Forbes 30 Under 30 Listmakers in Media and Marketing.
ACE Tutors, 23 of Nedlands was founded by Gwyn Durbridge, Raphael Watt and Robert Pennefather, driven by a desire to democratise education and provide students with convenient and reliable access to tutor support. The ACE Tutor App allows students to search and compare verified profiles for Perth's best tutors. It provides simple, convenient live scheduling and lesson management and students can choose from over 40 primary and secondary subjects. ACE Tutors was accepted into the Centre for Entrepreneurial Research & Innovation Start-up Programme in 2017. Over 1,000 Perth based students, parents and tutors have signed up since the App launched in February 2018.
Fingers Mitchell Cullen, 25 of Elleker is a singer-songwriter known for his unique style, including his outstanding speed and 12-string guitar skills. He is a multi-instrumentalist who has mastered the didgeridoo, slide stomp box, harmonica, percussion, and banjo. He currently manages more than 20 social media platforms with over 200,000 fans and a million YouTube views. Fingers has been publicly voted as Australia’s number one home-grown talent. He has performed as a special guest on the Australia’s Got Talent Grand Final and has performed twice at the OZORA Festival in Hungary. He won the 2016 WAMI Song of the Year Award for the Outstanding Regional Category.
Peter Bistrup Hall, 26 of Balcatta understands the innovation needed by people with a disability, having spastic cerebral palsy himself. He is currently a key disability advisor of online disability website, Care Collective. Recognising that people with a disability find navigating through the disability sector confusing and overwhelming, Care Collective allows users to list, browse and connect to services, programs and resources regardless of location or disability. Peter helped launch Flow Vessel, a water bottle designed for people with a disability, raising $10,000 for Care Collective. He was key advisor for ‘Just for YOUths’ by Ability and is an active member of several online disability support groups.
Catholic Education Western Australia Young Leadership Award
Drisana Levitzke-Gray, 25 of Balga advocates for those born Deaf. With compassion and understanding, she raises awareness about Australian Sign Language, or Auslan and fights for the rights of deaf children to access Auslan from birth. Her advocacy work has significantly contributed to the establishment and introduction of the National Auslan Curriculum. Drisana is a motivational and keynote speaker and an Auslan and Accessibility consultant. She is an ambassador for Deaf Australia, Our Watch and Full Stop Foundation. Drisana won the 2015 Young Australian of the Year and was inducted into WA’s Women Hall of Fame at the age of 22.
Ethan Williams, 20 of East Fremantle has demonstrated outstanding community leadership. He was a coordinator of the Notre Dame & St. Patrick’s Community Centre Sleep Out 2018, raising thousands of dollars for the community. Ethan was involved in a revamp of the On My Feet Program at St. Patrick’s Community Centre, promoting exercise and positive social interactions. Ethan is an AIME Mentor, Tutor Squad Leader, Surf Life Saver, Vice-Captain of Patrol at Cottesloe Surf Life Saving Club, and volunteer at Edmund Rice Camps WA. Currently a Doctor of Medicine student at Notre Dame Fremantle, he received the Vice Chancellors Medal of Academic Excellence in 2016.
Josef Bandera, 21 of Australind is determined to promote diversity and encourage participation. He overcame his own personal challenges to establish WA iSports Inc., after identifying significant disparity in the opportunities to participate in sporting programs for people with an intellectual disability. iSports was built as a clubhouse through the efforts of volunteers committed to enhancing the lives of people with an intellectual disability or on the autism spectrum, through sports and personal development. Josef has enabled over 70 member athletes travel opportunities across Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia. He has been a member of the Bunbury Disability Access and Inclusion team for four years.
Krista Dunstan, 28 of Bayswater seeks to create a community where every child is given equal opportunity. She is a proud Nyoongar woman, lawyer, and human rights advocate. Krista was advisor to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs of the WA Aboriginal Advisory Committee. Despite being a full-time carer to her disabled mother and sister, Krista volunteers as a Celebrate WA board member and Noongar Charitable Trust Advisory Committee member. She was part of the organising committee of the 2012 and 2018 National Indigenous Legal Conference. She also helped establish the Museum of Freedom and Tolerance and represented Australia at the United Nations for Children’s Rights.
First National Real Estate Innovation Award
Jordan Foster, 28 of Sorrento is among the first clinicians in Australia to specialise in the treatment of children and teenagers with internet and gaming addiction. She is a Cyber Safety Expert and Clinical Psychologist, recognised for her pioneering work in cyber bullying education and treatment of tech-related issues. She co-authored a digital parenting book, educated over 150,000 students across Australia and lectured to GPs at the Australian Medical Association. Jordan and her team have also developed an innovative tool that quantified human-based information security vulnerabilities, now used by large corporations. In 2019, she will open the first WA clinic specialising in mental health and technology.
Jordon Prince-Wright, 22 of Bassendean produced and directed WA’s largest independent feature film to date, “The Decadent and Depraved.” Shot in remote regions, it was funded by Remote Shires of WA and small and large businesses and organisations in WA. The film won five Los Angeles Film Awards including Best Independent Film Feature, and three New York Film Awards including Best Feature Film. Jordon was selected by The Directors Guild of America as ‘Hollywood Filmmakers of Tomorrow’ and was winner of 7 Oscar Qualifying Film Awards. Jordon founded Prince-Wright Productions whilst in high school and was selected for the Young Australian Filmmaker of the Year.
Briege Whitehead, 27 of Karrinyup is a talented storyteller. She is a producer, director and writer who has worked on multiple international factual series such as “72 Places to Live”. Her “72 Cutest Animals” was produced for National Geographic and Netflix and “The Antarctica Experience,” is a ground-breaking virtual reality documentary. Briege owns White Spark Pictures, a production company creating factual virtual reality television. Briege was nominated for ‘Best Interactive’ at the Australian Atom Awards and WA Screen Awards. Her short drama “Crumbs,” has earned official selection in the Cannes Antipodes, St. Kilda Film Festival, St Tropez International Film Festival and Perth International Revelation Film Festival.
Tara Lord, 20 of Fremantle is bringing Animal Assisted Therapy to WA. Together with her rescue dog, Loki, Tara hopes to change the world one paw print at a time. They sought certification to be an accredited therapy team and now regularly visit mental health facilities, family group homes, shelters, schools and homeless housing. The project focuses on equality, inclusion, empowerment, promoting hope and providing a voice for the unheard whilst supporting local businesses and sense of community. Tara plans to turn the program into a therapy ranch that will hold respite care, emergency crisis accommodation and camps for people with disabilities and mental health issues.
Scott Print Environment and Sustainability Award
Jason Pitman, 27 of Belmont has a passion for environmental education. It started when he was only 15, when he assisted in wildlife conservation projects in the Peel and Mandurah area. Since then, he has worked on a wide diversity of environmental projects and different working groups. He is currently a Strategy Coordinator at Perth National Resource Management, spending much of his time managing the Swan Canning River Recovery program and eradicating hydrocotyle weed from the river system. Jason delivers Swan Canning River School talks for primary and secondary schools around Perth and has so far educated over 1,200 students and engaging over 2,000 community members.
Kit Prendergast, 28 of Wilson is dedicated to promoting evidence-based actions to preserve indigenous native bees. She earned a Forrest Scholarship for her Ph.D. research documenting native bee biodiversity in the hotspot southwest suburbs. She created a Facebook group and citizen science projects to engage the community to care about native bees and ensure that there are thriving bee communities. Kit was awarded the Flow Hive Pollinator Support Program, Graduate Women WA Mary Walters Bursary, Australian Wildlife Society University Student Grants Scheme and the Ecological Society of Australia’s Outstanding Outreach Prize. She’s been invited to speak at community events and has published several scholarly articles.
Jeevarayan Rao, 28 of Derby is a passionate environmental consultant working in the environmental approvals sector in WA. In 2013, he helped establish the Young Environmental Consultants Association, which increased the number of younger environmental consultants. In 2015, he conducted strategic environmental assessments on the BHP Iron Order with the Central Pilbara Strategic Proposal. In both, he developed new and innovative ways to assess environmental impacts and explored ways for communities and governments to work together for better outcomes. In 2016, he worked as Environment Officer in the Kimberley region, where his biggest achievement was the upgrade of the Broome-Cape Leveque Road on the Dampier Peninsula.
Olive Forbes, 11 of Coogee is passionate about sustainability, environmental preservation and self-driven research. One of her initiatives was an online campaign to ban microbeads. The solution aims to address plastic pollution and endeavours to make households more sustainable. Microbeads are manufactured solid plastic particles that are less than five millimetres, which can get flushed down drains and go straight to the ocean for fishes to consume. Olive was among the top 12 finalists in Origin’s Little Big Ideas Competition with her idea to propose a solution for the plastic epidemic, a ‘pollution solution compost bin’ that biodegrades plastic at high speeds by using wax worms.
Royal Flying Doctor Service Regional Service Award
Jo-Beth Winton, 25 of Kununurra is an enthusiastic Miriwoong language teacher at the Mirima Dawang Woorlab-gerring Language and Culture Centre, a small-medium not-for-profit organisation based in a remote Kimberley town. The Centre works to preserve and revitalise the Miriwoong language, currently classified as critically endangered. Jo-Beth is teaching the language to over 400 children every week, giving the language and culture the best possible chance of revitalisation whilst connecting to young Miriwoong people. She also works to expand the activities of the Mirriwoong Language Nest. For her dedication and resilience, she was awarded the 2018 National Third Sector Young Leader of the Year Award.
Brie-anne Mauger, 28 of West End is a passionate volunteer. She has been a volunteer ambulance officer and volunteer development officer through St John Ambulance for over nine years, attending community events to provide first aid, attending ambulance call outs, and delivering training and mentoring to other volunteer ambulance officers. She is a member of the local Volunteer Leadership Group and a volunteer instructor at the Geraldton Police Rangers Cadet Unit. Brie-anne is a registered nurse who is currently employed by WA Country Health Service and works in the Emergency Department of Geraldton Regional Hospital. She mentors student nurses and encourages volunteers to become health professionals.
Josef Bandera, 21 of Australind is committed to improving the participation of persons with an intellectual disability in sporting programs. After getting the support of community-based sporting organisations that support diversity and inclusiveness, Josef founded WA iSports Inc., a club offering a more accessible and inclusive community for sports and personal development. As a result, over 300 vulnerable community members now have a safe and supported environment where disability isn’t a barrier. Through iSports, Josef has provided travel opportunities to over 70 athletes across Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia. He continues to find solutions as a member of the Bunbury Disability Access and Inclusion Team.
Joella Ashwin, 26 of Wiluna works for her Wiluna Martu community as an enrolled nurse and acting practice manager at the Ngangganawili Aboriginal Health Service. She is the first young Martu to attend University, study nursing, and graduate. At Ngangganawili Aboriginal Health Service, Joella works closely with the maternal and child health nurse to ensure that young Martu children are receiving ongoing and regular health care. As a result, more Martu parents have increased confidence and trust resulting in more parents bringing their children to the clinic for health checks. Joella is committed to improving the health outcomes for her own people.
Woolworths Youth Group Achievement Award
Capel Youth Collective Drama Club utilises performance to engage young people in healthy discussions and social change. It performs at community events and just recently, at a State-Act-Belong-Commit personal development day for educators and school counsellors to open up conversations around bullying and harassment. The Club is interested in entertaining the community, activating spaces which currently exist and encourage more members to join. It has also offered young people an option for self-expression. The Capel Youth Collective Drama Club has won multiple times at the Children’s Environment & Health Local Government Policy Awards, the latest being the 2018 Child Health and Development Award Category.
Willetton Senior High School Interact Club offers a welcoming environment that encourages students to collaborate. The Club is run by students, but with adult support and guidance from facilitators, school administrators and the Rotary Club of Willeton. With students coming from different cultural backgrounds, the Club aims to develop a generation of knowledgeable, community-focused young leaders who have fun whilst developing skills in problem solving, teamwork and communication. In 2018, the Club raised almost $7,000 which was distributed to several not-for-profits. Outside school, its members provides essential assistance to the Rotary Club of Willeton’s Rotary Fair and the South East Regional Centre for Urban Landscape.
Kinetic Youth Group of Armadale is a group of fifteen young people aged 13 to 19 who have identified key issues affecting young people in their community. The group chose focus issues they would proactively create sustainable solutions for such as lack of events and activities, empowerment & leadership, and bullying. The group planned and delivered two free youth activities and a series of Thought Leader workshops and participated in upskilling development ‘Masterclasses’ with a variety of speakers, facilitators and local organisations. They made submissions to the Armadale’s proposed Activity Centre Structure Plan, ensuring that the Council was including the voices of youth.
Tom Price Emergency Services Cadet Corps promotes leadership and skills development. Over 1,500 students have gone through the program and in the past five years 29 cadets have transitioned into the services of SES, St John Ambulance, Fire and Rescue and the Bush Fire Brigade. A further 18 cadets have joined the Country Youth Ambulance Officer Program with St John Ambulance in Tom Price. The Corps has completed over 15,000 hours of community service and has won the Cadet Unit of the Year for the last four years. The Cadet unit has been awarded the Active Citizenship Community Group of the Year from 2008-2018.
2018 Finalists
Scott Print Environment and Sustainability Award
Bella Burgemeister, 12 of Dalyellup has presented to 3,000 students on the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development. She authored Bella’s Challenge, a book incentivising children to take environmental action. 500 copies have been sold and distributed to all primary schools in the Greater Bunbury Region, with profits donated to local sustainability projects. Companies such as Bunnings use the book as a sustainability tool. She raised $30,000 with an 11-month campaign for homeless lockers in Bunbury.
Bonnie Beal Richardson, 27 of Mandurah has worked in local government for nine years, currently as Senior Environmental Education Officer. She educated 700 students at the Perth and Peel Regional Kids Teaching Kids conference. She runs a Sustainable Living Workshop series and Environment Event for the annual City’s Stretch Festival. Bonnie won the Highly Commended award for her Reduction Pilot Project, in the Community Household Electricity in the 2012 Keep Australia Beautiful Sustainable Cities awards.
Tanya McKenna, 28 of Perth had her sustainable home featured on TV for its unique and influential design. She has since executed other renovation and building projects, developing eco-friendly apartments as part of her ‘Nature Inspired Eco House’ campaign. Tanya worked for Ecologia Environment as a graduate and undertook post-graduate studies in Sustainability. She accompanying Premier Colin Barnett as Parliamentary Advisor during the termination of mining rights in the Kimberly region for conservation purposes.
First National Real Estate Innovation Award
Brenton Atkinson, 24 of Nedlands completed ground breaking research in offshore engineering through the Woodside FutureLab RiverLab. The research allows for a cheap and accessible alternative to current methods of obtaining the dynamic response data of offshore vessels. He proved the suitability of testing a scale model in the Swan River with a low-cost instrumentation system. The work completed in this project will guide the RiverLab initiative for the next four years of the program.
Ciara Duffy, 23 of Willetton is completing a PhD investigating the ability of honeybee venom to treat triple-negative breast cancer. The Cancer Council of WA is supporting her research to find an alternative to treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. As team leader in the Perth Ride to Conquer Cancer she rode 200km and raised over $6,500 for cancer research. She volunteers for St John Ambulance and has been donating blood for eight years.
Hoang Trinh, 14 of Duncraig is engineering edible cutlery to be distributed in his school’s canteen. With a $250 grant from Millennium Kids, he wrote a budget, learnt business tactics and met with a local MP to pitch his project. He is using local ingredients to develop environmentally friendly alternatives to plastic cutlery. Hoang spent a year researching Occupational Health and Safety. Hoang is aiming to 3D print the design to reduce his schools carbon footprint.
The Coffee Club Arts and Fashion Award
Alexander Paioff, 28 of West Swan has successfully delivered music festivals and funded and mentored musicians through his record label. His digital agency, Made In The Pile, employees 50 staff who creative videos, design and comprehensive social media marketing campaigns. Alexander launched Jack Rabbit Slims – one of Perth’s most popular live music venue and nightclubs. His media website, pilerats.com has over 150,000 monthly readers. Alexander volunteers for Uni Camp for Kids and has donated over $55,000.
Jonte Pike, 27 of Balcatta created her fashion label, Jonté Designs. Her label utilises fine fabrics, interesting blends and intricate detailing empowering women with confidence and design flare. Jonte has stockists in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney, an online store and a studio showroom. She has also secured a spot in a showroom in Hollywood Los Angeles, to increase her label exposure. Jonte often donate garments to fundraising events and accepts students for work experience placements.
Radheya Jegatheva, 18 of Joondanna is a filmmaker, artist, poet and writer. His films have been played in more than 300 film festivals around with world. Radheya, who taught himself animation, won Best Film at the 2017 International Film Festival for his short animation ‘Journey’. His animation of William Blake’s poem ‘The Tyger’ won international acclaim and is being used as a teaching tool in schools around the world. Radheya volunteers at community and school events.
Catholic Education Western Australia Young Leadership Award
Shelley Cable, 23 of Griffith is a Nyoongar woman who is passionate about Indigenous business and financial inclusion. Currently undertaking CPA studies, Shelley was shortlisted to attend Stanford University, to become one of their youngest MBA admissions. In 2017, Shelley presented to the UN and had her recommendations on financial literacy accepted and formally endorsed. She was elected to attend the Uluru Convention on Constitutional Reform, which resulted in the formation of the Uluru Statement.
Cassie Kirtisingham, 28 of Piara Waters developed IZRA, a school program providing resilience workshops to equip students with purpose & strength. The 15 strong IZRA team use interactive presentations, modern branding and conversational language. In 2017, IZRA released a video response to 13 Reasons Why, a TV series on teen suicide, called 1 Reason Why Not, with a free Discussion guide for parents and teachers. The video received over 100, 000 views and 1,000 shares.
Sara Shengeb, 23 of Wellard arrived as a political refugee from Eritrea five years ago. She is a strong advocate for about community development, youth empowerment, human rights and reducing inequalities. Sara speaks five languages and has recently graduated with a Bachelor of Science. At the Youth Affairs Council she coordinates the Catalyst Youth Summit and ShoutOut programs for young refugees and migrants. Sara was 2016 Australian Young People's Human Right Medal Finalist.
Theadosia Kurniawan, 20 of Dalkeith is the Co-Founder of The Willy Wagtail Project. Under the motto, "Come follow me, let's change the world", she leads a young team in designing and creating upcycled eco-enterprise ideas and products with unique stories. Theadosia is founder of TEDxUWA, WA's first fully student-operated TEDx organisation hosting events showcasing young people’s ideas. She was credited as Australia's only Forbes Under 30 Scholar at the Under 30 Summit in Boston.
Masonic Care WA/Freemasons WA Community Service and Volunteering Award
Nikki Wormald, 21 of Silversands founded a Friday Night Girl’s Program for her local Police-Citizens Youth Club. She project manages a basketball program for at-risk youths and raised $14,000 for the program through grants and fundraising. Nikki sourced government funding to train and source referee jobs for program participants. She simultaneously studied social work and worked for a youth drop-in centre. Working for Mission Australia, she started her own recreational program for homeless young people.
Krista Dunstan, 27 of Bayswater has advocated as a lawyer for Indigenous people at the UN. She lectures at the Constitutional Centre on several issues. She spoke at the Australian Law Students Association Conference and convened the National Indigenous Legal Conference. Krista volunteers for the Women in the Law Mentoring Scheme. She is a Legal Practitioner of the Year, features in the WA Women’s Hall of Fame and in the 100 Women of Influence lists.
Scott Guerini, 11 of Alkimos started Scott’s Great Walk at age four, walking 25km to town from his farm. He has completed four marathons and hiked 82km in the Canadian Rockies, raising $140,000 for Telethon. He seeks to help sick children and aspires to be a doctor. Scott has featured on Television and delivered a Telethon Beneficiaries Speech to 500 people, including Prime Minister Turnbull. He received the Premiers Australia Day Active Citizenship Award twice.
WFI Insurance Small Business Achiever Award
Andrew Holder, 26 of Palmyra started Revo Fitness in 2012. He grew the business to five gyms and has helped over 20,000 people with their fitness goals. He now employs five managers, 25 casual staff and 30 personal trainers. Revo Fitness supports the community, including Ocean Heroes, a charity teaching children with autism to surf. Andrew also has a passion for cricket and debuted for the Western Warriors Sheffield Shield cricket team in the 2017/2018 season.
Scott Ingram, 25 of West Leederville founded his marketing firm in 2015 after completing a Bachelor of Commerce. He acquired 50% of Helium Digital Marketing first year’s revenue through door knocking. Scott also founded Market Social, a not for profit providing student work experience in cause driven businesses. He volunteers communications support for his local church and Helium Digital Marketing sponsors The Stirling Senators Basketball Club.
Jordan Foster, 27 of Innaloo founded ySafe whilst completing her Masters in Psychology. Employing psychologists, educators, and law enforcement personnel, ySafe has delivered cyber safety education to 70,000 students, 10,000 Parents and 1,000 teachers. ySafe saw a 110% increase in profit in 2017 and was an Australian Anthill Cool Company Awards Finalist. ySafe is a regular point of contact for the media on cyber safety stories.
WAFarmers and Rural Bank Agriculture Award
Asher Goddard, 25 of Condingup graduated from her Animal Science degree with Honours. She was selected as a top ten Australian Meat Judge when she represented Murdoch University in the Intercollegiate Meat Judging Competition. She supports the Western Australian Beef Industry by coordinating the Western Australian Youth Cattle Handlers Camp. This camp provides participants with hands-on cattle experience. She has been a Beef Cattle Parading State Finalist at the Perth Royal Show.
Tom Curnow, 20 of Scaddan dedicated himself to his family farm after leaving high school. His father was taken two years ago defending their community from a large bushfire. The fire burnt through much of the community, including the family farm. With his uncles’ aid Tom dedicated himself to the farm. He advocates within the media for fire safety as a member of his local fire brigade. His father would be proud.
Madlen Kratz, 25 of Greenwood was a successful recipient of a PhD scholarship, following her Honours thesis on honey bees. Her research has been published in an international peer reviewed journal. The PhD project investigates the link between honey bee nutrition and management of the disease Nosemosis. Madlen aims to improve the sustainability of the industry. She is providing beekeepers with knowledge of the nutritional requirements that will protect colonies from this common disease.
School Drug Education and Road Aware Health and Wellbeing Award
Maddison Chinnery, 15 of Kalgoorlie aims to become a paediatrician to combat rural Australia’s lack of health professionals. She has personally experienced the effects of this shortfall when she broke her growth plate in her foot. Since nine she has worked with her sister, entertaining children as a fairy princess. She has raised money for organisations such as Red Cross, Cancer Council and LifeLink. Maddison attends events such as the Young Women's Wellness Retreat.
Scott Guerini, 11 of Alkimos seeks to help sick children and aspires to be a doctor. He started Scott’s Great Walk at age four, walking 25km to town from his farm. He has completed four marathons and hiked 82km in the Canadian Rockies, raising $140,000 for Telethon. Scott has featured on television and delivered a Telethon Beneficiaries Speech to 500 people, including Prime Minister Turnbull. He received the Premiers Australia Day Active Citizenship Award twice.
Paris Mitchell, 27 of Churchlands is advocating for healthier and safer communities. He speaks at schools, not for profits and government agencies. Pairs tells his story of turning a history of addiction, incarceration and mental health issues into a fulfilling, healthy life. He has since completed a degree and started his own business. He spoke to over 7,000 Western Australians last year, using motivational content, workshops and his original music.
Surge Fitness Sports Award
Brad Scott, 29 of Withers is a three-time Paralympian, winning two silver medals and a bronze. Brad coaches and mentors athletes throughout regional WA to achieve their personal best. Brad is studying a Bachelor of Sports Management to be followed by a Master of Education. He aspires to positively impact future generations as a school teacher. Brad’s motto is “disability doesn't need to be your excuse. It can be your greatest opportunity”.
Rahul Jegatheva,16 of Joondanna won first place last year at the World Aquathlon Championships. He won the 2015-16 Western Australian Open Water race series, undefeated with 8 gold medals. This qualified him for the National Championships. He competed in the World Youth Scrabble Championships, placing 25th as Australia’s second-best competitor. He mentors junior scrabble players and many young athletes. He volunteers at community events such as the Perth Swan Festival of Lights.
Kara Donnellan, 25 of Willetton is the Captain for the Fremantle Dockers in the AFL Women’s League. She has also completed a Bachelor of Health and Physical Education. She has been four-time captain for the Swan Districts Football Club, and Best and Fairest three times. Kara manages the V Swans, the education and community development department of the Swan Districts Football Club. Through sport programs she has reintegrated 300 previously incarcerated men into the community.
The Diamond Club Online Achievement Award
Jaimen Hudson, 27 of Esperance is an Aerial drone photographer & cinematographer. In 2008, he had a motorcycle accident that left him a Quadriplegic and confined to a wheelchair. Jaimen has raised the Profile of Esperance with his aerial footage being aired to audiences around the globe. He held Tourism Australia’s number #2 top social media post for 2016 and his Instagram, Facebook and Youtube videos and images has amassed over 250 million views.
Aaron Devellerez, 28 of Morley is the Digital Operations Manager at HBF. He led the digital development for Direct Advice for Dads, an award-winning website and simplified the General Insurance webpages, generating increased sales. Aaron moved the HBF Run website to a new content management system, achieving cost savings and business efficiencies. Direct Advice for Dads won multiple national awards and was a Project of the Year Award’s Finalist at the Content Marketing World Awards.
Helen Kwok, 29 of Willetton is an award-winning e-learning and multimedia designer. Working in education and government she has created online resources, serious game prototypes, team-building experiences, videos, animations, websites and graphics. Helen helped design and create a series of online new employee induction courses, which won Gold at the 2017 LearnX Impact Awards. Helen was asked to overhaul and rebrand the identity of the Playup Perth website which helped secure their first ever funding partner.
2017 Finalists
WAFarmers and Rural Bank Agriculture Award
Guy Coleman, 22 of MOSMAN PARK declined a position in Medicine to pursue studies in Agriculture and is currently working as a research technician. He is the sole content creator, developer and social media operator of AgriEducate, providing a platform for urban-rural connection and education. Since June 2016, AgriEducate’s social media sites have been viewed by 20,000 people. Guy has received five agricultural awards. Competing in marathons, he has also raised $9,000 for MS Australia and Operation Smile.
Jessica Andony, 23 of HARVEY graduated with an Animal Science degree with honours. She supports the WA dairy industry, through research and volunteers at youth cattle camps and the cattle show circuit. Jess is the Young Dairy Network co-ordinator and was integral to the organising of the WA Young Dairy Farmer of the Year Award. She also co-ordinated and delivered fire response requests to the Yarloop dairy farmers affected by the Waroona/Harvey fires, including her own family’s farm.
Katrina Sasse, 29 of CANNA was awarded a Nuffield scholarship to research the farm succession planning process for young women to return to their family farm. She supplemented the scholarship with $15,000 of her own funds to enable global travel to interview female farmers. The study addresses important issues such as female alienation from family farm business succession, disinheritance and agriculture’s patriarchal culture. Her research has already received a great deal of interest and support.
Nicholas Hardie, 20 of BODDINGTON recently graduated with a Bachelor of Agricultural Business Management. He has numerous prestigious scholarships including the Jack Bendat Royal Agricultural Society Youth Scholarship. Nicholas has been offered a position to become CSBP fertilisers Area Manager for the Moora and Dandaragan region. He is also a committee member for the Moora-Miling pasture improvement group. Nicholas was invited to join Agconnect, a group connecting and informing young people in the agricultural industry.
The Coffee Club Arts and Fashion Award
Alister Yiap, 29 of NOLLAMARA is a jewellery designer. He designs jewellery pieces for Runway, Commercial and Gallery. His unique creations for runway shows are fantastical and theatrical "wearable art". He has exhibited nationally and internationally and has won many awards including second place in the 2016 Australian Pearl Jewellery Design Awards. He is also a Design Lecturer and judge of art and fashion events. Alister is on Arts industry panels and Jewellery groups and volunteers to review student’s portfolios.
Caine Chennatt, 28 of NEDLANDS received a Churchill Fellowship in 2016, to investigate access and inclusion programs for people with disabilities, to engage with the arts. At the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery he introduced Auslan tours of the exhibitions and three D printing of artworks to facilitate access by sight impaired visitors and those with Alzheimers. Caine created a unique mobile app called LWAG+ providing visitor enhanced tours, with a particular focus for those with a disability.
Leo John Showell, 25 of MOUNT HAWTHORN is a practicing Graduate of Architecture with a passion for culturally responsive design. He has won numerous design competitions and received multiple awards for his work. Leo has exhibited in the Palau Robert Gallery, Barcelona, and created animations for the Venice Architecture Biennale in Italy. Leo is currently working with internationally-acclaimed architects, Iredale Pedersen Hook on cultivating projects that respond to, and celebrate Western Australia’s diverse and unique cultural landscape.
School Drug Education and Road Aware Health and Wellbeing Award
Cory Payne, 20 of NEW NORCIA was in a very serious car accident when he was 17. He spent six months in hospital, learning to walk again. Just two weeks after being discharged he walked and finished the 4km “Run for a Reason” raising $19,000 for breast cancer research. To date, he has walked and run and raised $35,000 for charities. Cory also speaks at schools and clubs to raise safe driver awareness to young drivers.
James Fazio, 16 of BALLAJURA has taken a major leadership role in the promotion of mental health issues to the students of Ballajura Community College. James is an ambassador of the Zero2Hero program, partnering with them on a number of mental health initiatives. In consultation with the Principal and College Deputy, James planned positive mental health days to be incorporated into the school calendar. He received the 2015 Long Tan Leadership Award and is the 2017 School Captain.
Jennifer Edwards, 27 of GERALDTON led the Child and Parent Centre initiative in Rangeway, establishing partnerships with schools and the community. She is a Rotary member and was instrumental in establishing the Geraldton Rotaract for 18-30 year olds. Jennifer manages the Geraldton Beach Volleyball competition, both social and league. She coordinated the annual “Volleyball Against Violence”, raising money towards domestic violence prevention. A Type 1 Child Car Restraint installer, Jennifer provides her service free of charge.
Pavitra Aran, 26 of SOUTH PERTH is completing her Masters of Clinical Psychology. She has volunteered for Zero2Hero, a youth suicide prevention group delivering 30 school workshops and was a delegate at the West Australian Catalyst Youth Summit. Pavitra founded a social media project; Young Refugees of Western Australia, creating positive media about young migrants and refugees. She is an active speaker and panellist, and the recipient of a Highly Commended Outstanding Contribution to Multiculturalism Award.
WFI Insurance Small Business Achiever Award
Betty Tran, 29 of PERTH is a fashion designer who empowers women. Her headline New York Fashion week design messages of “embracing the skin you are in” and “be brave”, used models from ethnic backgrounds to promote diversity. During Mercedes Benz Fashion week, Betty hosted an event for women in the industry, to celebrate inspiring stories of fearless women who have overcome adversity. She won the 2016 Telstra Western Australian Young Business Woman’s Award and 40 under 40 Business Award.
Ellen Broadhurst, 24 of NORTH FREMANTLE is an emerging artist and curator. During her Fine Art studies, she co-established “HotSoup” café, a free exhibition space for emerging artists and a soup kitchen. Operating for six months, 24/7, and feeding 900 homeless people, Ellen curated and installed nine exhibitions, herself featuring in four of them. She is currently making work for her exhibition at the Revelation Film Festival and runs a soup cart several days a week.
James Buchanan, 25 of JOLIMONT and his business partner Jack, created The Body Consultants, a health and wellness company offering more than just fitness. They share the latest research in physiology, nutrition, psychology and health via their member’s blog. James used social media and email marketing, generating over $2 million and a 25% conversion on sales leads. With three Perth locations and further plans for expansion, The Body Consultants have grown a tribe of committed followers.
Ryan Beckmand, 22 of BALDIVIS is an award-winning technical entrepreneur, transforming learning by using virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and analytics. His startup, Sciosity aims to improve education and high risk training sectors by integrating virtual reality. Sciosity is undergoing early operations in Asia, with a combined sales pipeline expected to exceed six million dollars by December 2017. Ryan is currently working in the Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) sector creating counter-narrative campaigns to prevent extremism, which he presented to the United Nations.
Catholic Education Western Australia Young Leadership Award
Bridie Ritchie, 28 of PERTH co-founded the youth-led organisation, “Dismantle Inc” in 2010. Dismantle has assisted 600 at risk youth, through their Bike Rescue project and has an annual turnover of over $500,000. Bridie is also co-founder and Managing Director for the social enterprise “Sprout Ventures”. The Sprout team create pop-up community centres and hubs in new subdivisions before permanent infrastructure is built. The Sprout Hub at Alkimos Beach won the 2015 Australia Social Enterprise Award for Innovation.
Jennifer Edwards, 27 of GERALDTON is passionate about improving early childhood and education outcomes. She played a leading role in establishing the Child and Parent Centre in Rangeway and is Chairperson of the Rangeway Primary School Board. Jennifer took a leadership role with the Midwest Early Years Network and was instrumental to the success of the Network. She coordinated the annual “Volleyball Against Violence” event, raising $4,000 to support a local association who provides education and prevention of domestic violence.
Regan O'Callaghan, 17 of STRATHAM works as a volunteer wildlife carer for organisations including the Native Animal Rescue Centre and Roo Rescue WA. She has also achieved Bronze, Silver and Gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards. Regan raised $4,000 for cancer research in Relay for Life, twice making up her own solo team, “Team Onesie Woman”. She participated in a calendar photo shoot for a 'Love Thy Self' campaign, empowering women and their self-acceptance whilst raising funds for charities.
Theadosia Kurniawan, 19 of DALKEITH has been the president of Buku Berjalan literacy club, promoting Indonesian and English literacy awareness to children from low socioeconomic communities. She has also been a long term, active member of Millennium Kids Inc, an environmental advocacy and action group. Theadosia founded and was President of TEDxUWA, WA’s first University-based and fully student-run TEDx organisation. She was co-founder of The Willy Wagtail Project and participated in Western Australia’s first climate-Kic, addressing challenges and identifying climate change opportunities.
Scott Print Environment and Sustainability Award
Alex Gavranich, 29 of ALBANY is a Senior Policy and Program Officer with the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources. Alex created the City of Wanneroo’s Coastal Assets Policy, the first of its kind in WA. He was awarded a Coastal Management Grant of $45,000, for a thorough risk assessment of Wanneroo’s Coastline. Alex is currently developing a mentoring program for environmental policymakers in developing countries. Alex is also a Board Director for the South Coast Natural Resource Management.
Bella Burgemeister, 11 of DALYELLUP created the book “Bella’s Challenge”, which is a child’s take on the UN 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. Bella pitched her project in front of 100 adults and was granted a micro-grant of $1,300 for printing and distribution. Primary schools in greater Bunbury, are being donated a copy of Bella’s book. As Junior President for Millennium Kids, she attends workshops to receive public speaking development and specific sustainability development skills.
James McCarthy-Price, 28 of SOUTH PERTH is a Wave Energy Engineer and an environmentalist. He founded “Entrepreneering”, an educational career pathway event for high achieving students. He also successfully campaigned for the University of WA to introduce a renewable energy subject. James volunteers with the Australian Ocean Energy Working Group reviewing its capacity to become a leader and global exporter of ocean energy technologies. His goal is to harness wave energy and produce the world’s first cost-effective wave energy converter.
Dr Matthew Fraser, 28 of BRABHAM is a marine scientist studying seagrass meadows in the Shark Bay World Heritage Area. The area is home to endangered marine megafauna such as dugongs and turtles. Matthew created the Cottesloe Ecosystem Research Project where undergraduate students research one component of the Cottesloe Reef ecosystem - plants, invertebrates, or fish. They add data to a pre-existing long term dataset to report on changes, providing valuable monitoring. All reports are freely available to the public online.
Surge Fitness Sports Award
Brianna Throssell, 20 of CITY BEACH is an Olympic swimmer. She won seven medals at the Youth Olympics and placed 4th in the World Championships. In the 2016 Rio Olympics, Brianna qualified 7th fastest for the women's 200 m butterfly final by finishing 3rd in her semi-final. She volunteers for many causes and charities. Brianna is studying a Bachelor of Physiotherapy and a Pre-Medicine Certificate and is pursuing her dream of being a doctor.
Bronte Macaulay, 22 of GRACETOWN has confirmed her position on next year’s World Surf League Women’s Championship Tour, after finishing in second place on the 2016 Women’s World Qualifying Series. The Championship Tour comprises the top 17 women in the world competing for the world title. Bronte regularly travels internationally, with approximately 15 surfing competitions each year and has weekly physical and technical training. She is also studying off campus to be a primary school teacher.
Curtis Luck, 20 of WOODLANDS is an Australian amateur golfer. In March 2017 he became the world number one ranked amateur golfer, heading the World Amateur Golf Ranking. He won the US Amateur Men’s Championship and has secured a spot for the upcoming US Masters tournament in April at Augusta. Curtis also volunteers and assists at junior clinics and state events, including the Western Australia Open. He was involved with two charity golf days, raising $200,000 for local charities.
Kristina Perrin, 21 of GOOMALLING has been competing in Karate for 13 years. She is currently undefeated in Western Australia for the open weight division and is number one in Australia in the women’s division. Currently in the Australian team, she is looking towards selection at the 2020 TOKYO Olympic Games. Kristina runs her own Karate club with 25 students. She keeps fees low and provides private, free lessons to some of her students.
Awards Australia Community Service and Volunteering Award
Dylan Collard, 24 of EAST VICTORIA PARK is a voluntary founding member of the Victoria Park Aboriginal Engagement Strategy Group. The group educates on reconciliation and culture using mediums of art, music, photography, story-telling and performances. The group has performed at NAIDOC Week and Reconciliation Week. Dylan was a Youth Panel member at the KickArts Festival and provides voluntary speaking presentations on Aboriginal culture. Already a Law Graduate, Dylan will also graduate as a teacher this year.
Sophie Telfer, 18 of DARKAN is the founder and editorial coordinator of the Wheatbelt Local. It is an online blog showcasing interviews with inspirational residents and articles on travel, agriculture and health. Sophie has developed the popular #lifeinthewheatbelt project, allowing locals to manage the Instagram account and share photos. Since its launch in 2014, it has grown to a community of 4,000. She also organised the Wheatbelt Walking Challenge, the Wheatbelt Christmas Card Exchange and the Wheatbelt Roads calendar.
Struan Graham, 22 of EDGEWATER is an active firefighter with Wanneroo Central Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade. He regularly takes part in extra brigade duties, volunteering for prescribed burning, community days and fire emergencies. Struan also developed the websites for both Wanneroo Central and Wanneroo Support Brigades. His work with online media has assisted in maintaining membership numbers. He has also spoken with over 340 school children, teaching them about home fire safety, bush fires and emergency situations.
Taylor Hayward, 24 of NOLLAMARA is a proud Noongar man. Currently studying for his Masters of Business and working part-time, he also co-founded the Mila Foundation. Mila is the Noongar word for; 'for the future'. The Foundation supports Aboriginal youth to connect to their culture, build leadership skills and develop career pathways. The Mila Aboriginal Youth Program has increased attendance at school from 50% to 95% on Mila Foundation days. Taylor also co-facilities the Mila Foundation Cultural Immersion Programs.
2016 Finalists
The Coffee Club Arts and Fashion Award
• Abdul Abdullah, 29 of Stanmore
• Kathryn Osborne, 28 of Mount Lawley
• Verity Softly, 24 of Inglewood
Scott Print Environment & Sustainability Award
• Scott Bennett, 29 of Scarborough
• James McCarthy-Price, 27 of South Perth
• James McDonald, 28 of Swan View
• Christine Parfitt, 29 of Cottesloe
Catholic Education Western Australia Young Leadership Award
• Ashlee Harrison, 28 of Churchlands
• Ashleigh Nelson, 28 of St James
• Sitthichai Rees, 24 of Port Kennedy
Goodlife Health Clubs Health and Wellbeing Award
• Christopher Brennan-Jones, 27 of Osborne Park
• Marlia Fatnowna, 23 of Duncraig
• Claire Willis, 26 of West Leederville
Awards Australia Community Service and Volunteering Award
• Aisling Blackmore, 26 of Mount Lawley
• Elizabeth Brennan, 29 of Wongan Hills
• Paul Munro, 21 of Coolgardie
• Rachael Ralston, 18 of Seville Grove
AustralianSuper Career Kick Start Award
• David Bignell, 27 of Cottesloe
• Sebastian Schiano, 18 of Capel
• Connie Yarran, 21 of Kellerberrin