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, learn key career skills in our 3-day Pathfinder Accelerator, and so much more!
Find out how Saoirse navigated Year 12 differently throughout 2021!
Introducing: Saoirse Chu
Category: Environment
School: Kingscliff High School
Career Aspiration: Environmental Affairs Officer for the United Nations
Achievements
- Launched Be the Change Northern Rivers radio show airing on BayFM 99.9 (Sydney) and SYN 90.7 (Melbourne)
- Youth facilitator for the Byron Youth Service’s YAC Radio Workshops
- Current NSW Representative for the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition: Young Leaders and Advocates Fellowship
What makes Saoirse a Trailblazer?
While balancing school pressures and the HSC, Saoirse launched her own youth radio show, Be the Change Northern Rivers in 2020! In collaboration with the Byron Youth Service for YAC Radio, Saoirse interviews activists and innovators from all over the world who are revolutionising social environmental systems and strategies! Saoirse aims to amplify their voices and inspire listeners in Sydney and Melbourne. The phenomenal podcast airs on BayFM 99.9 (Sydney) and SYN 90.7 (Melbourne) while also being available on all streaming platforms as a podcast!
Creating this fortnightly radio show is no easy feat! Saoirse spends time researching participants, emailing guests, requesting interviews, creating informative graphics, writing scripts and questions… the list goes on! She seeks to invite a diverse range of guests with varying stories to assure her viewers that there is no specific way to make a positive difference, and that any passion can turn into an agent of change.
Saoirse’s Be the Change Northern Rivers allowed her to nurture her passion for youth, social and climate action while forcing her to innovate and build public speaking, editing and podcasting skills. She has been able to connect with many like-minded leaders and share their stories! She has empowered young people to create their own positive change!
Her involvement in radio continues as she is a Youth Facilitator for the Byron Youth Service’s YAC Radio Workshops, where she guides young people in creating, recording and editing audio stories. On top of everything, Saoirse is also a current NSW Representative for the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition: Young Leaders and Advocates Fellowship.
Yes! We know Saoirse has incredible speaking skills but she is also a talented writer! Competing in many writing competitions, achieving First Place Brolga Prize for Young Writers, Second Place in the Susie Warrick Young Writers Award, and Second Place in the Future Leaders Future Writing Competition thus far.
While committing to online schooling, balancing studies, co-curricular activities and household responsibilities, Saoirse initially struggled to stay motivated. However, her experiences in the Be the Change Northern Rivers and her position in The Australian Youth Affairs Coalition has given her valuable insight into policy and government, guiding my future career goals and fuelling her excitement for what’s to come.
Saoirse’s dream job is to work as an Environmental Affairs Officer for the United Nations! This dream job keeps Saoirse inspired to continuously work for Environmental Change and Impact. She wishes to be a catalyst of climate justice with other leaders in this field, creating policies and innovations for green technology, renewable industries, net-zero targets and traditional land management.
“I want to create efficient solutions, be a driver of worldwide change, and shape a positive future with other upcoming leaders.”
Saoirse’s awesome work making waves in the youth impact and committing to such an awesome project in Year 12 is exactly why she is one of the 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.
