2026 MITS School Captains

Lailani Bransden

I am a year 12 at Star of the Sea college in Brighton.

What makes you proud to be at MITS: I'm proud to represent my mob from back home. I come from Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust, which is about five hours away, and that distance has shaped who I am. Living away from home to pursue my education has taught me independence, resilience and the importance of staying connected to culture, family and community.

Why I’m excited to be captain: I’m excited to be Captain because it’s a chance to give back to the community that supports me every day. Being chosen for this role means a lot, and I’m proud to represent my mob, my culture and my family with strength and respect. I’m excited to support other students and help create a space where everyone feels included, confident and proud of who they are. Most of all, I’m excited to lead by example and show that we can achieve great things while staying connected to who we are and where we come from.

What I’m looking forward to in this role: As Captain, I’m looking forward to building strong connections with everyone and helping create a positive, supportive environment for the students. I’m excited to work alongside students and staff, represent our voices, and make sure everyone feels heard and valued. I’m also looking forward to leading school events, celebrating our achievements, and creating moments that bring us together as a community.

Keira Manning

My name is Keira Manning and I am in year 12 at MLC.

What makes you proud to be at MITS: Something that makes me proud at MITS is to be able to watch my younger cousin come and succeed and enjoy everything that she is doing.

Why I’m excited to be captain: I’m excited to be captain because I feel like I can bring positive change in the boarding house.

What I’m looking forward to in this role: I’m excited to see what the year has to offer as it is my last year and I want to improve boarding for future years.

2026 Garrawang Captain

Mara Lovett-Murray

Mara is one of our 2026 School Captains and a proud Year 12 student at Brighton Grammar.

What makes him proud at MITS: I am proud to be at MITS because it gives me a opportunity to connect with other mob living in Melbourne and build strong, meaningful relationships.

Why he’s excited to be captain: I am excited about the opportunities that come with being School Captain and the responsibility to set the standard for the rest of the fellas. I understands that leadership is about actions, not just words, and is motivated to demonstrate consistency, accountability, and respect in everything I do. I am committed to learning and growing as a leader within this environment.

What he’s looking forward to in his role: In his role, I am looking forward to challenging the fellas to be their best academically, culturally, and personally. I am passionate about providing constructive feedback to strengthen the house and am eager to contribute ideas for weekend activities that enrich the experience for everyone. I am also looking forward to building new connections through the opportunities at MITS.

2026 Biderap Captains

Tenielle McGuire

Hi my name is Tenielle and I’m in year 12 at Star of The Sea College.

What makes me proud at MITS: So far at MITS, I’ve been proud of the effort I’ve put into consistently showing up and how hard I’ve worked in both school and at the boarding house.

Why I’m excited to be captain: I’m super excited to be one of the house captains of Biderap because I get to work closely with the girls by making them feel more at home, lending them a helping hand, and more importantly getting to know them - especially the year 8s who have just joined our Senior Girls House. I love this role because I have two younger sisters in Biderap house that I look out for and I’d love to extend that to other students as well.

What I’m looking forward to in this role: I look forward to what this term holds and hopefully I can help make the boarding house feel a little less scary or daunting for the juniors and create an environment even more supportive for the seniors.

Katelyn Austin

Hi my name is Katelyn and I’m in Year 12 at Camberwell Girls Grammar School.

What makes me proud at MITS: What makes me proud at MITS is the close-knit family feel we all have with each other, and the support our community gives, creating a home away from home.

Why I’m excited to be captain: I’m excited to be Captain because I’m able to be a voice for those around me. I can’t wait to support the younger students, just as I’ve been supported, and to lead by example.

What I’m looking forward to in this role: I’m looking forward to working closely with the managers and staff to plan activities, cultural events, and programs that bring our community more closely together.

2026 MITS Year 7 and 8 Captains

Tobias Verdon

My name is Tobias and I’m in Year 8.

What makes me proud at MITS: I’m proud of the opportunities we get at MITS, both at school and in boarding. I especially love being able to share my Culture through playing the Yidaki. I’m also proud that I get to keep learning more about our History.

Why I’m excited to be captain: I wanted to become captain because I want more experiences — doing new things, seeing new places and speaking to new people.

What I’m looking forward to in this role: I’m keen to get feedback from other students about how we can improve the MITS experience. I also want to keep learning and growing as a leader.

Yalarna Young

My name is Yalarna and I’m in Year 8.

What makes me proud at MITS: I’m proud of the leadership opportunities we get at MITS, like interviewing people and going on leadership excursions. I also feel proud of how much my confidence has grown.

Why I’m excited to be captain: I wanted to be captain last year but I wasn’t as confident. Now I have more friends around me who support me, and that helps me believe I can do a good job.

What I’m looking forward to in this role: Adam Goodes is someone who inspires me because he stood up to racism during footy matches. I think it’s important to stand up for people so no one feels disrespected. As captain, I want to help make sure everyone at MITS feels valued and respected.

Dermilie Tipungwuti

My name is Dermilie and I’m in Year 7.

What makes me proud at MITS: I’ve wanted to come to MITS since I was in Year 3. My teachers at my old school really supported me to apply. I chose Melbourne for the opportunities and the experience. Even though it’s away from my family, I’m proud to be here and I want to finish school at MITS.

Why I’m excited to be captain: I want to help my classmates — especially in sport and when they’re feeling homesick. I want to lead by example and be someone others can look up to.

What I’m looking forward to in this role: I’m looking forward to having more responsibility, helping teachers, supporting excursions and being more involved in school activities.

Darrius Johns

My name is Darrius and I’m in Year 7.

What makes me proud at MITS: I’m proud to be at MITS because it feels like a fresh start for me. I want to make my family proud when I tell them how I’m going at school.

Why I’m excited to be captain: I want to follow the rules, encourage others and help people feel happy at school.

What I’m looking forward to in this role: I want to help make MITS bigger so more kids can come here and have the same opportunities.

MITS Family Newsletter 2026

Celebrating 10 Years · 27 Feb 2026

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