Jessica naturally lifts up everyone around her. Whether she’s guiding a younger student through their first day or helping out in the wider community, everything she does comes down to making people feel welcome, supported and valued.
As Head Librarian, Jessica makes a point of looking after the junior librarians. She has created a space where younger students feel safe to ask questions, learn from mistakes and grow into their roles. She’s also quick to act when something needs doing. Noticing that school Masses could use more confident altar servers, she found interested students and organised their training.
Her energy is everywhere around school. She co-leads the Beloved & Blessed faith group, buddies up with international students, and contributed significantly to the Vinnies Winter Drive. Outside school, she has logged over 110 hours with the Student Volunteer Army. She also volunteers at the Salvation Army, leads a youth group in the RCIC programme, and serves regularly at Mass.
Jessica is a strong voice for young people too. Through the Waikato Youth Advisory Group, she works directly with the Ministry of Education to share youth perspectives, and she even wrote to the Minister about NCEA changes. She helps run local youth events with Raise Up Crew and supports her local Sri Lankan community, where she was recently awarded the Sri Lanka Friendship Society Waikato Rising Star Award.
Jessica plays Senior Volleyball, competes in debating and is part of the Sacred Heart Lit Quiz team, bringing great sportsmanship and genuine respect for others to everything she does. She’s not afraid to back herself either. This year she pushed well outside her comfort zone to enter the Chanel Shield Impromptu Speech competition for the first time, and she won first place as the youngest speaker in the room.
On top of all this, Jessica is a dedicated student. She earned NCEA Level 1 with Excellence, took on Level 3 Calculus in Year 12 and has received the Age Quod Agis award every single term. She still finds time to tutor other students at lunchtime and after school.
Jessica shows us that real leadership means stepping up when something needs doing and making sure no one gets left behind.