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 Harshita navigated Year 12 differently throughout 2022!
Introducing: Harshita Jayaprakash
Category: Social Impact and Change
School: Macquarie Fields High School
State: NSW
Career Aspiration: Psychologist
Achievements
- Becoming a school prefect
- Doing community service at the organisation Headspace
- Being employed as a tutor from 2018-2020
What makes Harshita a Trailblazer?
Harshita demonstrates her strong leadership abilities through her work as a prefect on the student leadership team at her high school! To receive this role, Harshita went through a rigorous application process, being one of 10 students to receive the role of ‘prefect.’ It’s no surprise that Harshita was a perfect applicant for the role, her strong sense of community shown through her volunteer work at Headspace Campbelltown. Through this, Harshita spends five to six hours a month helping to run events, participate in events, and raise awareness for mental health. This is not the only work Harshita has been involved in however, in fact, she worked as a tutor at Kumon Minto from 2019 to 2020, and Kumon Casula for a year in 2018! Harshita had to mark work completed by students and attend any that needed help, teaching her great leadership skills In addition to this work, Harshita has been involved in many extra-curriculars such as singing, dancing and netball, demonstrating her versatility in the things she does!
Through Harshita’s volunteer work at Headspace, she has helped people to become more confident, reaching out about their mental health by raising awareness of various mental health issues. This volunteer work has also developed Harshita’s social and communication skills, allowing her to meet new people and learn about their stories. This coincides with the skills that she is learning through her work as a student leader! One example that Harshita notes is an afternoon tea she attended, hosted by Hurlston Agricultural High School, where she had to meet and talk with other young leaders from South West Sydney!
“The best part about volunteering in an organisation like Headspace is receiving messages from people who have been positively impacted by the work we do.”
Despite all of this amazing work, Harshita acknowledges that it can be challenging to balance her academics and mental health. Some study habits can be harmful to her mental health, and she has had to work on skills to pace herself and take appropriate breaks between her work.
In the future, Harshita intends on working in the health industry. She aims to become a psychologist, which would require her to meet new people and understand their needs. Luckily, her experience with headspace, as well as newfound skills surrounding communication, will help her on that path! However, Harshita is also considering other job prospects in the medical field.
Whatever Harshita pursues, we are sure she will thrive, and we are proud to announce her 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
At Art of Smart Education, we’re an award-winning provider of holistic tutoring and mentoring for students in years K-12. Our mission is to help students answer the difficult question, “What am I going to do with my life when I finish school, and how do I get there?”
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.
Each year over one million young Australians, parents, and teachers access our guides, videos and resources to navigate the journey through high school.
