In these articles, we talk to our student leaders about what it is they actually do and how they are growing through their role(s)

What do you see as the function of your leadership roles within the Columba Community?

As academic prefect, I feel my job is to ensure that students have access to the best educational opportunities in their classroom and that they feel they can seek assistance around any issues or difficulties they are having with their learning. It is important to me that all students understand that their results are not as important as how hard they try, and that they have access to a huge amount of resources that can help them if they need it.

Being the student representative on the board of schools holds a similar role, as I aim to ensure that students at Columba have access to the best opportunities, classes and resources, and that they feel like they are heard in the decision-making process. I make sure that student voice is accurately represented on the school board, and that I am actively involved in the decisions that are affecting my peers so that the outcomes are the best for them that they can be.

How has your Columba experience thus far prepared you for this role?

Coming into Columba in Year 11 has given me a strong appreciation of just how much we have access to in terms of academics here, and how important and easy it is for students to reach out for help when their teachers are so willing to give it. Columba has also given me a good set of critical thinking skills, the ability to plan and prepare events, and publicly speak with confidence - all of these serve to help me tweak the system we learn in to make it better for students.

The representative opportunities offered throughout the school on things such as student council and committees have allowed me to develop the understanding of how to represent my peers which is necessary to truly contribute to the Board. I can summarise ideas and information I hear around me, and have the confidence in a meeting and myself to stand by it, even when it’s not the prettiest information. I also have the strength in myself to hold my own and to be strong in what I want for fellow students - and this is certainly something I can contribute to the Columba environment that encourages us to stand true to ourselves and our values.

Do you have any initiatives planned for the year?

At the moment I am just finishing up the bulk of Peer Tutoring, which involves pairing junior students with someone in Year 12 or 13 to help with any of the subjects they’re struggling with. This will continue throughout the year, and students can apply if they are wanting help at any point throughout the year. The Academic Committee are also looking to set up some sort of casual/situational tutoring where students can get in contact and ask for help with specific things throughout the year as they need e.g. fractions in Maths, or a specific essay in English.

Explain the challenges you have faced in taking on this leadership role; how have you dealt with them?

One of the main challenges that I have faced as Academic Prefect is the sheer amount of logistics it requires at times, and ultimately I’ve come to the solution that some very detailed to-do lists and spreadsheets are the way to go!

The hardest part of being the board of schools representative was definitely the sharp learning curve required to get to the point where I can usefully contribute to discussions. This was made easier by everyone on the board being really understanding and answering all of the questions that I had to ask, which was certainly a lot.

What key advice do you have for future Academic Prefects?

I think my key pieces of advice for future academic prefects would be a) to get peer tutoring started as early as you can before internals start, and b) to talk to other people about the difficulties you are having in the role! All of the other Year 13s, prefect or not, will be happy to help you talk through something and offer advice, so don’t feel as if you have to do it alone even though you are in a solo prefect role.

In terms of the board - and everyone you work with will tell you this - I couldn’t emphasise enough how important it is to ask questions anytime you feel the need and to voice your opinions. You must remember that you are just as much a board member as anyone else in the room, and that as such your opinions and knowledge are just as valid.

Who are the key people you work with in your role?

As Academic Prefect I generally work mostly with the Deputy Head Prefects (Briar and Elloise), the Head Prefect (Hannah), Mrs Piebenga and Mrs Harris to liaise around ideas and issues, but I certainly have involvement with the rest of the prefect team for advice or specific events, such as the OneHumanRace fundraising.

In my role as student representative on the Board of Schools, I work mainly with other board members, in particular Mrs Julia Scott (BOS Chair) and Ms Annie Van der Wal. I also make sure that I am present at events such as student council meetings, so I know what students outside of the groups I am involved in think of things.

What has been your highlight of your prefect journey so far?

I think my favourite part of my prefect journey was putting up the balloons for St Patricks Day - it was the first real celebration event we had organised, and it was fun. I was mildly chaotic because the balloons kept popping because we blew them up too full, but it was still such a good vibe despite the fact that the weather was terrible.