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Wilderness Times | Spring 2020
MEET THE SRC EXECUTIVE FOR 2021
Ella Beinssen President What legacy would you like to leave Wilderness? Every year I have looked up to the girls in leadership positions and reflected on the positive and unique legacy they have made while completing their final year of schooling. I am inspired to follow in their footsteps by doing the same. I strive to be a kind, inclusive and a courageous leader, who listens to the opinions and values of the entire cohort; someone who recognises and values the unique contribution each girl gives to the School community. Together, we can create a happy, fun and compassionate environment where girls can step out of their comfort zones, grow as people and become more confident in themselves. My goal is to make every person at Wilderness School feel special, involved, supported and loved, staff as well as students. I am very aware of the negative impacts that the media can have on the self-confidence of young women, particularly in terms of body image, and would love to promote the importance of self-love and acceptance.
What does leadership mean to you?
Wilderness School actively cultivates leadership qualities in our girls. We aim to build the understanding and skills of leadership through the curriculum and the many varied activities of school life in order to become respected leaders who act with integrity and model ethical behaviour. We are delighted to introduce our SRC Executive for 2021.
To me, leadership means several things, primarily that leadership is defined by the actions you take, not the position you hold. I genuinely believe that a respectable leader values the contributions of their teammates. For me, this will involve the 2021 SRC leadership team listening to the ideas and values of every member of the School community. It will then be the role of the SRC to facilitate these ideas in becoming a reality. Playing netball for many years has taught me the truth in the statement that, “A team is only as strong as its weakest player”, which sums up the immense importance of including, educating and uplifting every member of a team to be successful. I believe that leaders should be great, not because of their power or position, but because of their ability to empower others. Our most treasured school values of respectful relationships, kindness and thoughtfulness, need to be at the forefront of everything that our SRC stands for. I take inspiration from this year’s leaders as they have been able to embrace the core values of the School throughout these difficult times. They have been kind to teachers and girls, shown gratitude for our situation despite the challenges, and have been adventurous when having to organise new events and new ways of celebrating school life. Leadership at Wilderness means that with the heart of a lion and our hands united, we can achieve anything.
