VCE role model makes the cut with her passion for helping others

Gemma, who attends Leongatha Secondary School, has a strong belief in the importance of community, especially in regional and rural areas.

“Some people associate rural and regional areas with disadvantage,” she says.

“I want young people to know the advantages of living in the country, and to feel a sense of pride and belonging in their community.”

A VCE Leadership Award recipient, Gemma became an ambassador two years ago for the BEACON foundation, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to keeping students engaged in education and helping them transition to employment.

She partnered with local businesses to run networking and career information events to encourage students to aim high.

“I hoped that understanding how school links to their career would keep them motivated to do their best,” Gemma says.

Gemma has become well-known for her leadership in South Gippsland and Leongatha Secondary College Senior School Leader Russell Odgen says she is “idolised” and “admired” by young and old in region.

Gemma has raised more than $18,000 for the Leukaemia Foundation’s World’s Greatest Shave over the past two years.

She spent more than a year organising and promoting the 2015 campaign, in partnership with local businesses and community groups.

“To turn ideas into reality, you need to rally passionate people to support you,” she says.

She shaved her head for the 2015 World’s Greatest Shave and donated her 60cm ponytail to the Pantene Beautiful Lengths program, to be used in wigs for women undergoing chemotherapy.

She says it is important to “step out of your comfort zone and challenge perceptions” for positive change.

The school captain and chair of the student representative committee also supported another group of students to raise funds for the cause, sharing her wisdom and experience from behind the scenes.

She says communication is essential for bringing people together.

“You need to listen to how others feel about the issue you’re trying to address, then you can help them see things from another perspective,” she says.

It’s this attitude that has helped Gemma overcome her own setbacks.

When her doctor told her to stop playing netball, she turned to assisting and coaching her local junior team at the Meeniyan Dumbalk United Football Netball Club.

She then organised a two-day leadership program for the junior players in the Meeniyan Dumbalk United Football Netball Club, and an On Track workshop for the local Little Athletics group.

Gemma says the skill and confidence levels of players flourished within a supportive team culture.

She mentoree eight students at Yarwin Valley Primary School, sharing her leadership skills.

Learning about social enterprise through the YMCA LaunchPad program has helped clarified her career plans.

“I’ve decided that I’d like to work to help people living in poverty,” she says.

“I have to finish high school first, but I can see the direction I want to move in, and plan my goals accordingly.”

Gemma was an Australia Day Young Citizen of the Year Award in 2016, received the University of Melbourne Kwong Lee Dow Young Scholar award in 2015, and the Australian Defence Force Long Tan Award for Youth Leadership and Teamwork in 2014.

Her local community has also recognised her outstanding contributions with a Meeniyan Young Citizen of the Year Award in 2016.

The VCE Leadership Awards are co-ordinated by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. The awards recognise the efforts of VCE students in promoting leadership and participation in their school and community. Finalists receive a three-month subscription to the Herald Sun, and a 12-month digital subscription. On November 21, one winner will also receive a computer donated by Lenovo Australia. Students in government, Catholic and independent schools may apply for the annual awards at the VCAA website. vcaa.vic.edu.au