Angus Smith - Wagga School Leaders Graduate 2022
I am currently in year 12 at The Riverina Anglican College and have the opportunity to serve the college as the Service Captain for 2023. I graduated from the Wagga School Leaders Program in 2022 and am beyond honoured to have been a part of such an amazing program!
Angus Smith with Sam Beresford from CSU and his parents, Katherine and Ben Smith.
Following the program, I have been able to use the skills and opportunities presented to me to further develop myself, connecting with previous mentors and further engaging with issues facing our area. Since graduating from the program, I have also been fortunate enough to attend C4W events, and network with our region's most influential and important businesspeople! I am currently aiming to go into a career in international relations & diplomacy, an area which I find extremely interesting and something I am very passionate about!
I have also been selected in the 2023 Y NSW Youth Parliament and elected the Shadow Minister for Transport & Infrastructure, representing the Wagga Wagga electorate! Something I'm extremely proud of. Being a part of such an amazing program such as Youth Parliament allows me to advocate for the issues the youth of our region face and is an opportunity I'm extremely proud of. Alongside this, I am also working on creating more leadership opportunities for the youth of Wagga and am extremely excited to see these ideas hopefully come to life!
Angus, fifth from right, pictured with his 2023 Y NSW Youth Parliament colleagues.
The Wagga School Leaders Program was nothing short of life-changing and has truly allowed me to find my true self, all whilst developing the key leadership skills to help those around me. The opportunities that presented themselves at each module, carefully guided by the amazing facilitators ensured we as a cohort would be getting the most out of every day we spent as a group! Being connected to insightful and experienced mentors, all with a wealth of knowledge was one of the most rewarding things for me, and many mentors from the program I have the privilege to now call my friends. I truly believe that the WSLP allowed me to gain confidence in who I am, and how I want to lead, whether at school, in the parliament chamber or in the broader community. I am confident these skills will continue to lead me in both my personal and future professional endeavours, and I will be forever grateful for the opportunities presented to me!!.
If I was to give one piece of advice that I took away from the program, it would be this:
"Take the most out of every opportunity presented to you, because you will never know the doors it may open or the road it may take you on, so take that leap, seek discomfort, and make the most of it"
Angus with Peter Braneley who mentored Angus during the 2022 Wagga School Leaders Program.