It was so great to be back for my third Inspiring Australians Student Summit, joining more than 500 students from across southern Adelaide and the Fleurieu Peninsula to share my story of founding the South Australian Youth Forum. I spoke about my experience of starting SAYF at 17 and how leadership isn’t something that only belongs to people with a particular title, position or level of experience. I really wanted to share the idea that leadership exists in all of us, and tha

It was a privilege to join the 2026 Young Citizens Leadership Forum as a panellist, alongside more than 80 young leaders from communities across South Australia. I spoke about what it means to be an adaptive leader as a young person, particularly in a world that is constantly changing. For me, leadership is about being willing to pivot, rethink and change direction when circumstances shift, while staying grounded in the values that guide you (I am still learning all of this a

It was great to present alongside my co-lead from ReachOut Australia at the Mental Health Services Conference in Sydney, reflecting on the process that led to the development of our youth participation framework. Rather than focusing solely on the framework itself, our presentation explored what we learned along the way and the values we identified as essential to building meaningful partnerships between young people and organisations. We spoke about what it looks like to wor

It was an honour to deliver a speech at the Diana Ramsay 100 Year Centenary at the Art Gallery of South Australia, hosted by the Diana and James Ramsay Foundation. I spoke about the powerful role that philanthropy can play in turning big ideas into meaningful change, particularly when it comes to supporting initiatives that strengthen and empower communities. It was also an opportunity to recognise the incredible contribution of the Diana and James Ramsay Foundation, includin

I was invited back for a second Inspiring Australians Student Summit, this time joining history-making astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg and Dr Karl as one of three keynote speakers. Over 600 students from nine visiting schools came together for a morning built around curiosity, resilience, and dreaming boldly. I brought the youth voice and community leadership lens to a lineup of genuinely extraordinary Australians, speaking to what it means to build something from the ground

I was invited to deliver a keynote at the Official Dinner of the 31st National Schools Constitutional Convention, held at the National Press Club in Canberra. I spoke to 120 students from across every school sector in Australia about what youth voice in democracy actually looks like when you take it seriously. I was invited specifically as the 2025 SA Young Australian of the Year and for my work building SAYF. What made it even more meaningful was that I had been an NSCC dele

During National Child Protection Week, I joined SA Australian of the Year Professor Leah Bromfield and Senior of the Year Charlie Jackson OAM on stage to present a Call for Change in protecting children. SAYF members delivered speeches highlighting stories of resilience, justice, and the urgent need for community-led reform in how we think about child safety. Bringing young people onto that stage to speak in their own words about what reform needs to look like was incredibly

Over 400 students heard from Sam Bloom, World Para Surfing champion and author, His Excellency Dr Richard Harris SC OAM, Governor's Deputy and Thai cave rescue diver, and me as the 2025 SA Young Australian of the Year. Together we shared lessons on resilience, trust, teamwork, and the power of youth voice. I spoke to students about using their voices for change and what genuine community leadership looks like at any age. Photo credit: Andrew Beveridge

South Australia's inaugural Active Citizenship Convention was a landmark three-day event at Adelaide Oval, bringing together nearly 1,000 Year 10 students from across the state. I delivered the keynote across all three days, opening conversations about leadership, participation, and what it genuinely means to show up for your community as a young person. The event featured democratic simulations, mock ballots, and AI-related media panels run by the Electoral Commission. I bro

I was invited to join a panel discussion hosted by Ending Loneliness Together exploring the WHO Commission on Social Connection's landmark report on loneliness and its global significance. I contributed as a youth practitioner working directly in the loneliness and social connection space, bringing the lived experience and community-led perspective to an otherwise predominantly academic and government conversation.

I was invited by the ACCC to participate as a panellist at the 2025 National Consumer Congress in Melbourne, the ACCC's flagship annual event. The overarching theme was declining consumer trust, framed around the question of how to regulate in an environment where trust is eroding. I contributed to the session on young adults and digital markets, bringing the youth perspective to one of Australia's most significant consumer policy forums. Photo credit: ACCC

I was invited to speak at the 2025 Volunteering SA/NT Conference about engaging young people in volunteering and what it means to build and lead a fully youth-led, volunteer-powered organisation at the time. I shared the realities of youth-led community work, what makes young people want to show up, and how organisations can genuinely embed rather than just recruit young volunteers. Photo credit: Volunteering SA/NT

SAYF members took the stage alongside Dr Ben Lohmeyer at the Department for Education's Wellbeing Leaders' Summit, speaking to hundreds of educators about the importance of authentic youth voice in wellbeing policy. Young speakers shared lived experiences of school, inspiring educators to reimagine what student leadership and wellbeing support can actually look like. Photo credit: Department for Education SA

At the Commissioner for Children and Young People and Youth Affairs Council SA Youth Impact Summit, I joined a panel of young changemakers from across the state to exchange ideas, collaborate with sector leaders, and celebrate the power of youth-led advocacy in South Australia. It was one of those events where you look around the room and feel genuinely hopeful about what is being built here.

I was invited to speak at Flinders University's Impact of Giving donor afternoon tea, hosted by President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Colin Stirling. Alongside Dr Ben Lohmeyer, I presented our co-design research approach on youth loneliness to donors who had supported the work through philanthropic funding.

Alongside two SAYF members, I spent a day across the Parndana and Kingscote campuses speaking to over 400 young people in Years 7 to 12 about youth advocacy, resilience, and leadership. The visit marked the beginning of something significant for Kangaroo Island, building the foundations for what is now the established Kangaroo Island Youth Movement.

I was invited to speak at the South Australian Business Chamber's International Women's Day Business Luncheon, sharing the stage with keynote speaker Professor Leah Bromfield, 2025 SA Australian of the Year. I spoke about the SA Youth Forum's work in spaces of gender equality including coercive control, period justice, and gender equity in schools, from the perspective of a young woman who built an advocacy organisation from the ground up. It was a privilege to speak to leade

Over two days at the Adelaide Convention Centre, I delivered a keynote to more than 1,000 students from 90 schools, with some travelling from as far as Port Lincoln and Mildura. The room was full of primary and secondary students who had come together around themes of leadership, growth, and connection. I spoke about the South Australian Youth Forum, about what it looks like when young people are handed real tools and real responsibility, and about why advocacy does not wait

Alongside Dr Ben Lohmeyer and several SAYF members, I took the stage at the Department for Education's Wellbeing Leaders Summit in front of hundreds of educators from across South Australia. Young people shared lived experiences of school, mental health, and the search for spaces that actually see them. I spoke about what authentic youth voice in wellbeing policy looks like and what are the gaps and opportunities when schools try to build it. Photo credit: Department of Educa

I was invited to speak as a youth voice at the Technology and Wellbeing Roundtable co-hosted by the Telstra Foundation and ReachOut Australia. Alongside keynote speaker Professor Sonia Livingstone from the Digital Futures for Children Centre, I represented the SA Youth Forum in conversations about integrating youth voices into data collection, policy-making, and technology design. The roundtable explored the tension between protection and empowerment in children's digital liv