Wellbeing
Identity and Portfolio Prefects
In this week’s edition, we will get up close and personal with our Identity and Portfolio Prefects. The Identity Prefects are those who lead the College in all aspects of the four touchstones: Liberating Education, Gospel and Spirituality, Justice and Solidarity and Inclusive Community. The Portfolio prefects take on a specific role in relation to all aspects of College life including academia and wellbeing.
William Chahin
What is your leadership portfolio?
Spirituality and Faith Formation Prefect.
What are you most excited about in your leadership portfolio?
I am most excited to develop a richer and more concrete sense of faith and connection within our school. As a faith-based College, we need to remember the morals and values that Catholics uphold, rather than getting caught up in the expectations of secular society – especially in this time where secularism is on the rise, and it is up to us to ensure that our faith remains strong.
What is something about you that others may be surprised to know?
Since the age of four, I have travelled to Lebanon eight times for family holidays. I’ve always loved the aviation industry, and visiting my family overseas brings me great joy as it gives me the opportunity to appreciate a country with such an extensive history, despite the adversity it has faced.
What is your preferred way to unwind?
Gathering with the family and my loved ones. Despite how loud they can be, I’ve always loved and appreciated our large family gatherings. The immense conversations that are sparked allow me to enjoy one another's company and presence, and a chance to forget about the never ending to-do-list that needs to be done.
What would be a good theme song for your life? Why?
“Work hard, Play hard” by Wiz Khalifa.
In his song, he makes reference to the idea that one must truly and honestly work hard and put in effort in order to succeed. Playing hard, on the other hand, refers to enjoying yourself and rewarding yourself for your hard work. This motto highlights the value of both facets of life and encourages striking a balance between work and play.
Thomas Coorey
What is your leadership portfolio?
Social Justice Prefect.
What are you most excited about in your leadership portfolio?
I’m most excited about being able to rally the school behind initiatives and programs that have a discernably positive social impact. Particularly, I look forward to enabling students to engage with many different people from a wide range of experiences and backgrounds. I hope to have a lasting impact on the school’s social justice program.
What is something about you that others may be surprised to know?
I actually have three citizenships! I was born in New York, so I have a US citizenship by birth. My dad was born in Australia, and I’ve lived here since I was four, so I have an Australian citizenship. My mum’s British, so I have a British passport as well. It’s a very useful ace to have up my sleeves when traveling!
What is your preferred way to unwind?
I love learning languages – I have a 540-day Duolingo streak. When I get a bit of downtime, I enjoy sitting down and learning some French or German, and I’ve just started on Danish too.
What would be a good theme song for your life? Why?
I think my life’s theme song would be ‘¡Viva la Gloria!’ by Green Day.
It describes the journey of a character who is forced to consider what fuels her beliefs, and who ultimately chooses to keep struggling towards a better life and a better world. I love this song because it describes how you must stay true to the path of justice, even in the face of adversity. My favorite line from the song is ‘don’t let the bonfires go out’, which calls on the listener to keep a fire in their belly to change the world; something I strive to do in my own life.
Daniel De Pasquale
What is your leadership portfolio?
Sustainability Prefect.
What are you most excited about in your leadership portfolio?
I am most excited to work with every member of the College community, including staff, students and parents in order to make sure that everyone within the College community is aware and educated about the environmental effects of their actions, so that, instead of having the idea of sustainability forced upon every one of our decisions, it becomes a sub-conscious factor in our decision-making process.
What is something about you that others may be surprised to know?
Something that other people may be surprised to know about me is that, since I have been at the College in Year 5, I have been learning to play the clarinet. Once I started playing the clarinet, I joined the school’s band and have since participated in both state and national championships.
What is your preferred way to unwind?
Personally, I like to unwind by going for long walks around my suburb while listening to music. I find that it helps me to focus on the present moment and leave behind everything that I have been worrying or stressing over. It basically allows me to take some time for myself, which I believe is very important, especially in your senior years at school.
What would be a good theme song for your life? Why?
A good theme song for my life would be ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ by The Verve as it speaks of the many ups and downs that we all experience in life. This song reminds me of the need to have resilience in times of hardship and to enjoy the beauty of the moment. The chorus then says “I can change, but I’m here in my mould” which, to me, speaks of the way in which we should be true to ourselves and not change our thoughts and beliefs just because of the influence of others.
Joshua Santangelo
What is your leadership portfolio?
Inclusive Community Prefect.
What are you most excited about in your leadership portfolio?
I am excited about the opportunity to foster a sense of belonging and unity within our school. My role allows me to work closely with other students from across the school to support diversity and inclusivity. I look forward to organizing events that celebrate and share our differences, promoting a wider cultural understanding. This role embodies the spirit of togetherness which I always aim to promote.
What is something about you that others may be surprised to know?
That I have adopted cousins from Taiwan and South Korea that are aged 7 and 5 respectively. They are both very cute and I always enjoying going to see them and seeing the excitement on their faces when going out with them.
What is your preferred way to unwind?
I unwind doing a lot of different activities depending on my mood. These include listening to music, playing video games, watching netflix etc. However, my favorite thing is going out with my friends, this can be small things such as going to the park in the afternoon to play football for a while or going out for a full day and just being around them. I believe it is very important to effectively balance your life and use your time effectively and I believe that spending quality time with your mates often is one of the best uses of downtime.
What would be a good theme song for your life? Why?
A good theme song for my life would be "Something in the Way" by Nirvana as I believe it encapsulates how to effectively responds to challenge’s big and small and how to effectively navigate through life when something is in the way.
Jeremy Simonetto
What is your leadership portfolio?
Learning and Technology Prefect.
What are you most excited about in your leadership portfolio?
I’m excited to work towards improving the way in which technology is used in the classroom and the broader school community as a whole. I think that vast capabilities lie in our online world, and it will be great to have the opportunity to better integrate it in our lives to enhance our learning and wellbeing.
What is something about you that others may be surprised to know?
On the Italian Tour, I out-ate everyone else... my gelato record was six scoops on one day.
What is your preferred way to unwind?
For me, the best way to unwind is to go for a walk and listen to some music. When I’m feeling stressed, like when I’ve got an important exam or event coming up, this helps me to clear my head and let go of my worries.
What would be a good theme song for your life? Why?
A good theme song for my life would be “Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson.
The core meaning of the song is about recognising your potential to make change in the world through striving to be a better person in all that you do. It inspires me to keep pursuing my goals because I know that I can make a difference.