What are the Trailblazer Awards?
The Trailblazer Awards celebrates Year 12 students beyond their ATAR, recognising those who have overcome personal challenges and used their final year of school to positively impact their community.
Our Trailblazers will have the opportunity to network with industry leaders, build their personal brand and profile as a future leader, get exam ready in our 1-day HSC Trials Accelerator, and so much more!
Find out how Toby navigated Year 12 differently throughout 2022!
Introducing: Toby Chandiok
Category: Social Impact & Change
School: Ryde Secondary College
State: NSW
Career Aspiration: Within the legal industry as a lawyer focusing on either humanitarian or international law
Achievements
- Co-Project Patrol Leader of the Environment and Sustainability Initiative
- Vice Captain
- State finalist for debating
What makes Toby a Trailblazer?
Toby’s drive for achieving positive change as a leader of the Australian Scouting Movement saw him accept an invitational appointment to the NSW State Youth Council of Scouts NSW as a representative of the Sydney North Region.
Within his school community, Toby has served as Prefect and is the current Vice-Captain. His passion for competitive debating began in primary school and progressed well into his high school career as he has risen from district champion to state finalist!
Toby’s interest in the legal industry was further fostered by his successful application for the student work experience program of Mills Oakley, a national commercial law firm, where he worked within the Planning and Environment Team.
After nearly a decade leading in the Australian Scouting Movement, Toby’s hard work was recognised by his appointment to the NSW State Youth Council of Scouts NSW for the Sydney North Region. This monumental achievement provided Toby with the opportunity to influence positive change and advocate for the youth by speaking on behalf of all Scouts within the State (nearly 20,000!), alongside the other members of the council.
Within his role as Co-Project Patrol Leader of the Environment and Sustainability Initiative, Toby has worked to lead the State’s youth initiative in creating Scouting to increasingly align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals at all levels and regions of Scouting. By working with a small group within the State Youth Council, Toby has been involved in consulting with various internal stakeholders and advising the implementation of practical policies to realise improvements and changes in Scouting operations.
“Regular online conferences, and in-person conferences of the State Youth Council enable us to provide this, exemplified by the Scout of the Year Awards in which I judged state applicants in individual projects addressed at UN SDGs. The inter-organisational potential for this similarity proffers the value for young people to recognise the agency we each possess, and the far-reaching effect of our actions together.”
Apart from his great strides through his Scout leadership duties, Toby’s commitment to social change has manifested in his school community through his humanitarian efforts. In support of Ukraine, Toby organised a school fundraiser to form a collectivised endeavour to create positive change for those in disadvantaged circumstances.
For Toby, the biggest challenge that he encountered in Year 12 was the burden that the COVID-19 pandemic had on amplifying the usual difficulties of HSC. Rather than let this get in the way of his goals, Toby applied his various experiences in leadership roles to help him adapt his approach to ensure that he strikes a healthy balance between his academic and extracurricular pursuits. In the future, Toby aspires to work within the legal industry as a lawyer focussing on either humanitarian or international law.
A true trailblazer in the Australian Scouting Movement, Toby’s initiative and dedication to creating positive change within his school community and on a state-level makes him an amazing choice as one of our Top 50 Trailblazers!
The Top 50 Year 12 Trailblazer Awards
The Trailblazer Awards aim to identify and celebrate students who use their final years of school to invest holistically in the skills and experiences that will maximise their own future opportunities and make a contribution to the future of our society.
Our winners for the Year 12 Trailblazer Awards have demonstrated initiative in volunteering for their school or community, have participated in co-curricular activities, and have held leadership positions within their schools.
Learn more about who placed in the Top 50 Year 12 Trailblazers here!
About Art of Smart Education
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We understand that true success involves mastering study, career and leadership skills while maintaining your wellbeing, not just excelling in academics and as a result, over the last decade, we’ve supported over 10,000 students to achieve their best and maximise their options for life after school.
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