From the Principal

YOUTH LEADERSHIP

Our College is blest by thousands of youth leaders, those who hold office, accept leadership, aspire to be leaders, and who are leaders at school and in the community.  We consider how fortunate we are that Sehajta Kamboj, Matteo Demarte, Sheriz Moreno and Luca Thomas will assume the leadership roles presently filled by Thomas, Niko, Seth and Jennifer.  A tradition of service by our Year 12 students continues.

At our College we strive to have many opportunities for our budding leaders in our community to develop and nurture servant leadership attributes and skills.  Class captaincy, assistants to captains, co-curricular leadership roles, team leaders, lead roles, are just some of the chances Monicans are given to learn and grow as potential societal leaders.

Guided by Ms Cheriyan and Mr Antonio, Student Councils undertake various responsibilities and fulfil their duties to a very high level.  These roles include representation of others’ views, contributions to decision making, reviewers, speech makers, front-of-house roles, and leadership in the classroom, on the sporting field, within the orchestra, at community service activities, on councils and boards, external and internal events of a vast variety.

All leadership is based on servant leadership at St Monica’s College, and special instruction and counselling are provided at workshops for our youth leaders.  Students’ minds are turned to the model of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples, the suffering servant, Martha at the table, and even to a business model where scholars write about servant leadership as a management tool.

Beautiful youth models are before our Monicans each day of the year,  Two exceptional Monican youth are Carlo Acutis (soon to be canonised) and Chiara Badano (already blessed).  Every Monican can talk about these two beautiful, deceased adolescents as servants of God – Carlo through our intervention program and Chiara through our Pastoral lessons. Other youthful saints are discussed and studied in Religious Education classes at various year levels.

Preparation for leadership is a major element of a Monican education. Teachers do not presume that all students possess the ability or even willingness to lead.  However, when put into the context of service, the need for our Monican youth to learn to be leaders is of significant importance. Maybe leadership will be offering through a football team, tennis squad, scout group, youth club et al.  Families require leaders too in good and bad times.

Let us pray for those wonderful Monicans who assume formal leadership roles for the remainder of 2025 and throughout 2026.  May God give them the wisdom, strength, discernment, courage and will to lead with justice and integrity.  May all Monicans embrace our College motto, ‘Pray and Persevere’ as the foundation of what produces a happy, effective and enlivened leader.

Brian E. Hanley OAM

Principal