ENVIRONMENTAL warriors, school leaders, carers and a decorated fashion designer are among the finalists in the annual RED Carpet Youth Awards in Wodonga on Friday night.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Now in their seventh year, the Wodonga Council awards recognise young people who are making a difference or excelling in their field.
From 69 nominations in nine categories, 36 finalists were chosen from areas including sport, music and volunteer work. Seven people will vie for the Youth Ambassador award.
Wodonga Senior Secondary College captain Jacob Mildren, 18, is a finalist in the Individual Community Service category.
He was among 15 students to represent Victoria at the National Schools Constitutional Convention 2015.
“I met a lot of very high-profile politicians and high-profile leaders; I learned how diverse leadership can be,” Jacob said.
A finalist in the Environmental Award, Sarah Thompson, 23, has just completed her Parks and Recreation degree at Charles Sturt University, Thurgoona.
A volunteer with Parklands Albury-Wodonga for 18 months, Sarah is not deterred by large-scale environmental challenges that Parklands has been chipping away at for years.
“I really love working outdoors and understanding the environment and the way things fit together,” she said.
A finalist in the Endurance/Persistence category Erin Valkenburg helped secure funding for the WayOut Wodonga project in 2013.
She leads the Closet Project for which she has gained an Arts and Cultural Grant from Wodonga Council and was involved in a documentary that premiered at the Melbourne Queer Film Festival called Love in Full Colour about young rural lesbian, gay, bi, trans and intersex (LGBTI) people.
“It feels really humbling to know people approve of the work I’m doing in the community,” Erin said.
Finalists include: Individual Community Service Award – Ashley Whitehead, 17; Jacob Mildren, 18; Annie Jarratt, 16; Jacqui Hawkins, 24; Group Community Service Award – Wodonga Senior Secondary Student Leadership Council; Flexible Learning Centre Hospitality Students; Path to Peace of Mind Group; Wodonga FReeZA; Sport and Recreation Volunteer Award – Jeremy Bahr, 17; Emily Woolford, 17; Emma Deuchar, 18; Lachlan Lewin, 17; Young Carer Award – Melanie Gale, 15; Hunter White, 14; Danni Good, 18; Tahlia Netherwood, 16; Apprenticeship/Traineeship Award – Mark Damm, 20; Jamal Thompson, 19; Ashley Carter, 19; Emma Burgess, 17; Endurance/Persistence Award – Laura Bennett, 20; Erin Valkenburg, 21; Addison Jones, 17; Riley Briese, 18; Jarrod Mann, 19; Environmental Award – Emma Hargreaves, 24; Hannah Waite, 17; Sarah Thompson, 23; Performing Arts Award – Josh Lovett, 24; Mason Gregory, 15; Heidi Nicholson, 18; Jason Hyatt, 16; Visual Arts and Media Award – Lacey Smith, 23; Maddie Anderson, 16; Molly Bellairs, 17; Cody Blockley, 17; Youth Ambassador Award – Emma Hargreaves; Emily Woolford; Riley Briese; Jacob Mildren; Jason Hyatt; Erin Valkenburg; Jamal Thompson.
