Callum Mayo and Maddy Vereker recently joined more than 40 young potential leaders for a one-week journey as part of the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) held in Yarramundi.
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RYLA focused on developing confidence, self-awareness and understanding in all its participants.
The range of guest speakers and activities appealed to the varying ages and interests of each individual.
Maddy shared: “I specifically valued the workshops based on identifying the strengths and weaknesses in oneself and others.
“This included understanding different styles of communication, building trust in team members, and how to face the daunting task of public speaking.”
Maddy is studying at the University of Wollongong and is a volunteer in NSW State Emergency Service.
Callum shared that part of the program required work in a team of five, choosing a topic, researching and presenting at the closing ceremony to celebrate the achievement of the week.
His team’s topic was The Birds and the Bees.
Their mission statement was to research sexually transmitted diseases – STDs – within indigenous communities; to increase awareness of STDs within these communities; then, once this was increased; to decrease the number of infected Indigenous Australians.
Their caption for their project was to Mediate, Educate and Eradicate.
From this experience, Callum said he gained skills on how to work with different people, in a different team environment; and different personalities.
“I was also quite amazed to learn that the number of those infected are substantially higher than non-Indigenous Australians.”
The year 2017 was a big one for Callum.
He took out the Regional Category in WorldSkills in the Turning Trade section, plus was recently recognised as TAFE NSW Wollongong Campus TAFE Student of the Year for 2017.
Callum is now fully committed to training for the National WorldSkills Competition to be held in the Darling Harbour Convention Centre from June 2-5, 2018.
This involves him focusing in his role as a machinist at Leussink Engineering at Unanderra, refining his skills and in the following weeks attending TAFE after work to train with his mentor and TAFE teacher Martin Bezzina.
Local Rotary Clubs send a number of these young people to RYLA each year.
Callum was supported by the Rotary Club of Wollongong and Maddy by the SES Volunteers’ Association and the Rotary Club of Wollongong.
For further information about Rotary and Rotary projects contact Dot Hennessy on 0412 120 314 or dothennessy@gmail.com.
Australian Rotary Clubs are part of an international network of business, professional and community leaders who strive to make the world a better place through practical efforts.