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 Megan navigated Year 12 differently throughout 2022!
Introducing: Megan Williams
Category: Social Impact & Change
School: Bishop Tyrrell Anglican College
State: NSW
Career Aspiration: Engineering industry – Mechatronics Engineering
Achievements
- Part of the winning group in the NCC Sustainnovation Challenge, hosted by the City of Newcastle
- Held the position as one of the College Captains for 2022 and the Christian Ministry Prefect
- Member of the school’s Social Justice Club
What makes Megan a Trailblazer?
Passionate about social justice, inclusion, and innovation, Megan is a dedicated member of the Social Justice Club at Bishop Tyrrell Anglican College and was a winner of the NCC Sustainnovation Challenge. She holds two leadership positions as one of the 2022 College Captains and the Christian Ministry Prefect. Her initiative and determination have shone through her co-curricular activities of swimming and music. Since 2014, Megan has been a competitive swimmer and represents her swimming club at Open State level. She also plays the flute and has represented her school in numerous band structures, including the Symphonic Wind Ensemble and the Orchestra.
As part of the winning group of the NCC Sustainnovation Challenge, Megan designed a school curriculum-based program for people with physical and psychosocial disabilities to bring awareness to systemic ignorance and promote social inclusion. This amazing project has been recognised by the Newcastle City Council and is currently being developed for integration in the school curriculum as the Disability Empowerment Education Program (DEEP). This program would have a positive impact for people with lived experiences of disability by raising awareness of systemic issues and fostering meaningful inclusion and participation.
Megan’s commitment to social justice work doesn’t end there! As a member of her school’s Social Justice Club, Megan is devoted to making a positive impact in her community and has been involved in the opening of a new gender-neutral bathroom within the high school, creating a primary school bench to showcase the values of the Social Justice Club, and hosting the school’s first official Harmony Day celebration. A meaningful achievement for Bishop Tyrrell Anglican College, Megan’s involvement in facilitating the Harmony Day celebration focused on creating inclusivity towards people of different cultures and creating a meaningful impact on the community. The day was a huge success and celebrated culture and inclusivity through the purchasing of a peace pole and a traditional Aboriginal smoking ceremony being performed. There was also a Staff versus Students dodgeball game, and all these collaborative efforts helped to raise $915 in donations for Zara’s House: an organisation based on providing support to female refugees in the community.
“For the Social Justice Club, one of the most meaningful achievements has been the impact of our Harmony Day celebration. This was focused around creating inclusivity towards people of different cultures and celebrating the diversity present within the school, and around the community.”
Despite the challenges of COVID leaving Megan unable to undertake any work experience, she has made the very most of Year 12 to make a positive impact on her community. While Year 12 has brought along its fair share of challenges in adapting to higher levels of stress, workloads, and learning pressures, Megan has utilised her perfectionism as a motivator to strive to perform her very best in each task and develop a strong worth ethic. Driven by her passion for STEM and the rapid nature of technological developments, Megan intends to pursue a career in the Engineering industry, particularly Mechatronics Engineering, in the future.
Megan’s hard work, dedication, and passion towards helping make her community a brighter place has earned her a spot as one of our Top 50 Trailblazers 2022!
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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