10 minute read
Meet the SRC Executive for 2021
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.
Ella Beinssen President
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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?
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.
Firstly, I am a fairly open person, and I do like to talk. I am very involved in the Wilderness Student Media Team and am studying Stage 2 Multimedia. During each event, I work with others in the team to capture special memories so that we can create a film that showcases the day. My main passion is editing, and I have been fortunate enough to have had many opportunities to do this, such as editing the REALISE Camp film and the Year 12 Film this year.
Secondly, not many people know that I love to travel and experience new cultures, meet interesting people, taste unique food, and explore beautiful places in our world. I am someone who loves to do physical activities on holidays; be it camping, bike riding, kayaking, hiking, snorkelling or scuba diving. During my childhood, I was fortunate enough to able to sail to Papua New Guinea with my extended family. I loved this trip; it was the first time I experienced the scale of our planet and the diversity of people, locations and cultures. My passion for travel was born on this trip, and I plan to travel as much as I can in the future, COVID permitting!
Lastly, a fact that never fails to raise questions is that I have a dog named Boot, which I think we can all agree, is a pretty unusual name. The story behind this is that our previous dog was called Loop, but sadly he died after being bitten by a snake. My family wanted to keep the one-syllable name with a double ‘o’ in the middle which, as you can imagine, considerably narrowed down the options. Despite me pushing for the name Snoop, we compromised and went with Boot instead. Ironically, he loves the car and spends a lot of his time in the boot, but also loves swimming and playing with toys even in his middle age. Which three people would you invite to a dinner party and why?
This question was quite a struggle for me as anyone who knows me knows my pop-culture knowledge is shameful. For example, despite loving food, it was only last year in PLP that I learnt who Gordon Ramsay was (embarrassing I know). However, after giving it some thought, I realised there are an endless amount of people in this world I would love to invite. Since it’s a dinner party, the first person I would invite is someone to cook. Bill Granger is a self-taught cook, and both my mum and I take inspiration from him. I absolutely adore food and would love to talk to Bill about his recipes, watch him cook and, most importantly, taste his food.
Next, I would invite David Attenborough as I am passionate about the environment. I would talk to him about how we can combat global warming and pollution, and the ways that we can best protect our amazing wildlife. I would also ask him for travel recommendations!
My last spot has to belong to Ash Barty. She is an amazing athlete and an incredible female leader in today’s society. Although she has to live in the crazy world of fame and media, Ash has held her values close. She seems like a genuine person who cares about the people around her. I would love to discuss current issues with Ash and ask her for a couple of tennis tips to improve my game.
With this guest list, it would be an incredibly tasty, engaging and long night!
Trinity Hong Vice President
What legacy would you like to leave Wilderness?
Throughout our time as the SRC Executive in 2021, we hope to create a community where girls feel encouraged, confident, and excited. We want to grow upon this year’s SRC theme of ‘Spirit’ by continuing to empower girls to strive towards their endeavours while also supporting others.
We want to focus on helping girls to be confident in being their true, authentic selves without fear of judgement. I want to support and encourage girls to challenge expectations and the norm, to act accordingly to their beliefs. Inspiring girls to unapologetically be themselves will allow them to discover not only themselves as individuals but how they belong to a wider community. Whether it be joining a club or committee that they are interested in, participating in a new sport, or getting involved in music, these activities can enable self-discovery and foster the creation of supportive relationships.
What does leadership mean to you?
To me, the most important characteristic that comes with leadership is being supportive. Although leaders are often thought to lead from the front, I believe it is just as important to support from behind. A supportive leader can encourage and bring the best out of each person, which makes the group stronger as a whole. I believe that being open-minded is also essential as it is the willingness to hear and consider new ideas or try new things.
As a leader, it is important to appreciate that everyone has a different perspective and then to cater to each person’s experience by listening to their views and opinions. Tell us three things that people wouldn’t know about you.
I have had a fear of birds since childhood.
I love sneakers and have close to ten pairs.
I have an unhealthy bubble tea obsession.
I would invite Michelle Obama as I admire her grace, humility, and sincerity. I would speak to her about her passion for girls’ education along with the several initiatives she has led that address the challenges of childhood obesity, and transition into regular life for service members.
I would also invite Emma Watson, a woman I find very inspiring. She is not afraid to express her strong views which have led to her campaign as a UN Women’s Goodwill Ambassador.
I would also invite Hayao Miyazaki, co-founder of Studio Ghibli, as I am a big fan of his films. As he has a creative soul, I would find it impactful to listen to his unique perspective of the world and catch a glimpse into how he expresses it through his work.
Ishani Sood Secretary
What legacy would you like to leave Wilderness?
As part of the 2021 SRC, I hope to contribute to an environment where authenticity is celebrated; where girls feel empowered to utilise their strengths and succeed in their endeavours, knowing that they will always be supported by one another. We want to encourage girls to have the confidence to take risks, follow their passions and be proud of their achievements without fearing judgement.
We want to ensure that girls feel comfortable in their skin and courageous enough to challenge stereotypes, stigmas and assumptions. We aim to make the Wilderness community a place where girls are confident enough to express their genuine views and know that their voices are being heard and admired for their authenticity.
What does leadership mean to you?
To me, good leadership is the ability to demonstrate courage and resilience when faced with challenges.
I believe leadership involves putting others first, and thus a good leader is willing to step outside their comfort zone for the benefit of their community, and to see the change they aspire to create.
No one is born a leader; one can only become a leader if they possess an open-minded attitude and a willingness to grow; through advice, interactions and experiences with others. Only then are they able to truly listen to, support and represent their community. Most importantly, I believe a true leader embodies kindness, gratitude and humility. Tell us three things that people wouldn’t know about you.
My dog, Tina, is named after a taxi driver my family met in Switzerland.
I was at Wilderness in Mamie’s and then returned in Year 6.
I am obsessed with Delicia’s Acai bowls.
I would invite Jacinda Ardern as I believe there is so much to learn from her leadership. Jacinda Arden breaks glass ceilings; she is an incredible role model for female leadership as the world’s youngest female Prime Minister and the first leader to go on maternity leave while in Office. She is actively improving women’s rights, is passionate about tackling climate change, and leads with openmindedness and kindness.
I would also invite Oprah Winfrey as I am inspired by her success as a self-made entrepreneur, willingness to speak up as an activist, and generosity as a philanthropist.
Finally, I would invite Beyoncé as I admire her as an artist and resonate with her values of feminism, charitability and supporting other women. I appreciate Beyoncé’s authenticity; promoting strength and independence in her lyrics, celebrating her own and other’s cultures, and encouraging positive body image.
