On the 7th of March 2023, the young leaders of Artarmon (School Captains, Prefects, House Captains, and House Vice Captains) attended the National Young Leaders Day which was held at the International Convention Centre (ICC). There we met many famous leaders such as famous sports stars, Chris Green and Caitlin Bassett, along with comedian Nazeem Hussain, inventor Dr Jordan Nguyen and His Excellency, the Governor-General, David Hurley.

The first speaker of the day was a national-famous cricketer, Chris Green. As captain of the Sydney Thunder, he had a lot of things to say about leadership. With both tips and suggestions, Chris had a lot to share about his experiences in a leadership role. He told us that an important part of being a leader is having a good relationship with the people around you, and that you cannot captain alone. He also said that you have to keep searching for the right way to lead, even though there is nothing perfect to find.

Next we heard from Caitlin Bassett, the former captain of the Australian Diamonds, who has won many awards for her netball skills. She told us about her hard times during her training and childhood, and how she overcame her difficulties. She also told us that it was good to be a leader from the bench and let other people do things too. Caitlin Bassett was a very inspirational speaker who taught us many things about leadership.

After a quick morning tea break we met a well-loved comedian and author, Nazeem Hussain. After recently publishing his new book, Hy-larious Hyena, he admitted that it was mainly based on his childhood. He then spoke about those childhood experiences and how far he has come since then. He believes that laughter always makes your empty tummy full. As a student body I think that it is necessary to always have positive humour, cheer people up when they’re sad, encourage others to be resilient and build resilience through humour.

Next, we heard from a special guest, the Governor-General, David Hurley. He told us stories from his high school years to the times when he was nominated Governor-General. He told us that we lead, not for ourselves but we lead to serve others. He said that it is very important to learn to listen. The Governor-General was a very inspirational and informative speaker, who gave up his precious time to come to a schooling convention.

Last of all, we met the extraordinary Dr Jordan Nguyen. Being one of the smartest speakers there that day, Dr Jordan inspired us with his inventions, such as mind-controlled wheelchairs, a speaking, moving, and guiding robot that was designed to tour visitors around universities, and a car that is controlled by moving your eyes. We should all encourage others to pursue our dreams and tell ourselves that we can achieve anything we set our minds to. After all, Dr Jordan Nguyen’s main message to all who attended was: “If you set your mind to it, you can achieve it.”

Overall, the convention was such a fun night, and we hope that future young leaders like us will have the same unforgettable experience that we had.