Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (Mark 9:35)

On Monday, November 23, and Tuesday, November 24, the Student Representative Council embarked on a spiritual journey as part of the 2020 Student Leaders Gathering, which was facilitated by the Marist Youth Ministry and conducted over a Zoom presentation.

During this two-day occasion, we congregated in the chapel and were introduced to a plethora of schools from the likes of New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and South Australia. Throughout the presentation, there was a sustained emphasis on the notion of servant leadership, which accentuates acting in the best interest of the student body whilst not under the presumption that you will be requited. To thoughtfully elaborate upon this proposition, we engaged in a series of discussions and activities to expand upon our interpretation and expression of the 5 Marist Characteristics, Presence, Simplicity, Family Spirit, Love of Work, and In the Way of Mary. In particular, we had to recognise these qualities in distinguished and renowned leaders — including Dalai Lama, Michelle Obama, Elon Musk, and Pope Francis — and, within the span of two minutes, we undertook the challenge of photographing ourselves partaking in an activity that exemplified the characteristic of Love of Work. To achieve this, we photographed ourselves ‘gardening’ in the garden, located in front of the Champagnat Centre, to convey the pride we have tending for the College’s natural environment. In being challenged to establish initiatives that embody each of the five characteristics and can be exhibited by members of our College community, we devised, amongst ourselves and with Mr Pletikosa, an initiative entitled ‘God’s Hands’.

We have deliberated with Mr Lo Cascio, Mr Cloran and Mrs Meharg on this initiative and intend to carefully develop upon its objective and execution, in which we aim to introduce it to the College in the next year. The 2020 Student Leaders Gathering was a tremendous opportunity, abundant with knowledge and advice on how we can successfully maximise our capacity to be outstanding leaders, both as a collective and within our individual portfolios. We are incredibly grateful to have been able to participate in this event and strengthen the relationships we have amongst ourselves. We would like to recognise and extend our greatest appreciation to Mr Pletikosa for not only supervising us, but also for his constant encouragement, involvement and wisdom that he imparted to us, which we are immensely grateful to have been graced with.  

Noah Stuart

Academic Captain and Vice Captain