Wellbeing
Meet the 2023 Student Leadership Team Identity Prefects Edition
Dominic La Greca
What is your leadership portfolio?
Spirituality and Faith Formation Prefect
What are you most excited about in your leadership portfolio?
As you are probably aware, the main goal of our leadership team is to reignite the school passion, pride and experience at St Patrick’s. Much of this comes from the religious and social events at the College like Opening School Mass, the Founder’s Day Mass and the Mother’s and Father’s Day Masses. Areas that I would love to help bring a sense of community and purpose to are singing, attendance at Friday morning mass and donations. I hope, alongside Karim, Matt and James and the rest of the Student Leadership Team to bring back this enthusiasm and spirit which is an integral part of College life.
What is something about you that others may be surprised to know?
What surprises many of my peers is that I have three pet chickens. Not only do they provide eggs, but they bring a great sense of life into the backyard. During the lockdown, I often spent much of my time feeding and tending to them to relieve my boredom. It was then I realised the importance of having a pet. Not only was it a great outlet but it helped build a stronger bond that would not be possible during the busy school term.
What would be a good theme song for your life? Why?
A song to sum up my morals and an overall great party song is Play Hard by David Guetta. This song stresses the importance of working hard and rewarding yourself, for example in the the chorus “work hard, play hard.” My grandparents, like many others, were migrants, who through sheer hard work made a life for themselves and their families in Australia. I remind myself of how hard they worked to get this far and use this as motivation to try my best in all aspects of life, sporting and academic.
Karim Lattouf
What is your leadership portfolio?
Social Justice Prefect
What are you most excited about in your leadership portfolio?
As the Social Justice Prefect, and a proud Catholic I strive to emulate Jesus in caring for others. I enjoy helping to make a difference in other people’s lives, and I want others to feel the same. I would also love to inspire others to get involved in Social Justice programs inside and outside of school as you end up receiving more than you give. Serving others, just as Jesus is something I value.
I am also looking forward to working with Dominic, Matthew, and James as Identity Prefects, as well as the Student Leadership Team to reignite our school’s sense of comradery and involvement, just as I had seen it before the pandemic began. I feel strongly about doing the little things right to help to contribute positively to as many lives as I can.
What is something about you that others may be surprised to know?
One thing that often surprises people is that I own a dog. His name is Bear and he is an 18-month-old, light brown, short haired part border collie. Before we got him, I never thought I would be able to love an animal that rolls around in mud and eats off the ground, but now it has become a priority for me to spend at least half an hour with him. It has proven to be an effective way to have a break from school, and from my phone.
What would be a good theme song for your life? Why?
A good theme song that would suit my life is Michael Jackson’s classic hit Man in the Mirror. The chorus, “if you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make a change” allows me to “take a look” at myself daily, and reflect on my actions, choices, and thoughts, and how they impact on others. I have pride in developing myself as a person and to be able to better impact people’s lives.
James Stewart
What is your leadership portfolio?
Sustainability Prefect
What are you most excited about in your leadership portfolio?
I am most excited about getting to work with my fellow prefects and actively participating in meetings and being a voice for my peers. I am also excited about getting involved in the College community and putting forward initiatives and ideas on behalf of my peers on how the school can continue its mission of becoming a school within the EREA system, practising sustainable behaviours.
What is something about you that others may be surprised to know?
Something about me that others may be surprised to know is that I throw Javelin in Athletics and have been throwing since the U11s, being able to compete at nationals and various state meets.
What would be a good theme song for your life? Why?
I feel as though a good theme song for my life would be It gets better by Rex Orange County. This song resonates with me as it sheds light on how much you change as the years progress. This particularly resonates with me considering how far I have come and grown physically and mentally since first starting Senior School. I am now embarking on my final year at the College with my mates and peers and I am looking to make these last few terms memorable.
Matthew Gainsford
What is your leadership portfolio?
Inclusive Community Prefect
What are you most excited about in your leadership portfolio?
I am so excited that I received the prefect role which I am so passionate about. I believe inclusivity is one of the most important aspects at St Patrick's College. I am looking forward to being a part of change at SPC, so all students feel equal, accepted, and safe. I look forward to rebuilding St Patrick’s strong sense of community, which has been dimmed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
What is something about you that others may be surprised to know?
In Year 7 during PCP, my pants caught on fire! The fire brigade was called, and I had to take my pants off in front of the whole grade. It was really embarrassing. My phone had set on fire in my pocket, and I had second degree burns on my thigh, which required burns dressing at the hospital.
What would be a good theme song for your life? Why?
A good theme song for my life would be Shake it Off by Taylor Swift, as it is about letting go of small problems and just having a great time. Taylor sings about the importance of being able to ignore negative criticism, being able to laugh at yourself and having fun. It is also a banger of a song!