Leaning into the opportunity to mentor, Strathcona Deputy Captain, Natasha Hawkins recounts her experience from the Alliance of Girls Schools Australasia Making a Difference: Girls for Change Leadership Summit.

On the weekend of the 11 and 12 August, I was lucky enough to be able to volunteer as a leadership mentor at the Making a Difference: Girls for Change Leadership Summit, which was run by yLead and the Alliance of Girls Schools Australasia. The weekend involved hearing from Australian influencers including Hannah Easton (’01), executive assistant at Thankyou and Strathcona alumnae and representatives from charities such as OnePlate, Flourish Girl and Crêpes for Change, and learning tangible skills such as smart marketing and audience targeting. The girls then had the opportunity to put the skills they learnt from these amazing people into action and plan a social initiative that aimed to fix an issue they were passionate about.

I was a participant in the MAD Conference in 2017, so I was super excited when I received the call from yLead telling me I had been chosen to mentor at the conference. The best thing about it is that everyone is there for the same overarching reason – they are all passionate about using their skills to change the world, and just needed that little encouragement to start something.

It is the most unbelievable feeling to know that you have played a part in someone’s journey to making a difference. I am so privileged to lead alongside one of the most inspirational team of mentors, and I have learnt that every little drop of effort towards change contributes to the vast ocean of influencers that are out there using their skills to make the world a better place. I would highly recommend this conference to anyone who is in Years 9 to 11 next year. It is an invaluable experience and so much can be taken away from it!

Natasha Hawkins, Year 12 student