By Oliver Lees
A handful of exceptional young people in the Macedon Ranges have had their hard work recognised at this year’s Youth Awards.
At the council awards evening held on Thursday, the work of some the shire’s best and brightest aged between 12 and 25 were showcased across six unique fields.
Lara Vicente took home the ‘Willpower’ (recognising perseverance through adversity), for joining the cadets at Braemar College and being promoted to platoon sergeant while volunteering, despite ongoing bouts of anxiety.
Hugo Lobb received the ‘Nicely played’ accolade (notable recreational and physical activity), for his impressive archery performance. The 17-year-old notched eight gold medals and three silver medals at the 2019 National Archery Championships.
The ‘Good Deeds’ award (for giving time to a group or community) was given to Siena Payne, after she took part in the 2021 Act For Peace Ration Challenge, raising more than $1560 for Syrian refugees and inspiring her peers to follow in her footsteps.
Trainee dental nurses Melanie Horvath, Lorissa Koleceg and Abbey Raynor took out the ‘Skilling It’ award (excelling in a mentorship program) for their professional work at Gisborne Family Dental while completing a Dental Assisting certificate at RMIT University.
Molly Consiglio was named the 2021 ‘Well aware’ recipient (for shining a light on important social issues) as a key member of the pioneering Lancefield Cricket Club women’s program, which this year will field a second team. Ms Consiglio also assisted in raising $50,000 for the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
And the leadership group of the Mount Players Youth Theatre were awarded the ‘Pure imagination’ prize (for those pursuing a creative passion) in recognition of their voluntary mentorship of as many as 60 young members of the community.
Macedon Ranges mayor Jennifer Anderson congratulated the recipients on their awards in the face of a particularly challenging past year.
“You’ve missed out on so much that would be normal rites of passage and other things you would do but instead of just sitting there, you’ve innovated, you’ve done different things, you’ve supported one another,” Cr Anderson said.
“These last 18 months have been tough with almost everything having to be done differently and I know that young people in the Macedon Ranges are really leading the way in adapting to all these changes.”
Oliver Lees
