On 2nd June the National Young Leaders Day event was held at the Christchurch Townhall.

Kia ora my name is Risha Prasad and I was one of the lucky students that was privileged enough to go to the National Young Leaders Day event. This was my second time going and personally it was my favourite, because the speakers shared stories I could connect with and relate to. The main theme of this year's event was resilience and how we can show that in our community. There were many inspiring speakers but the two that grabbed my attention were Georgia Latu CEO of Pōitiki Poi and Sam Johnson CEO of Student Volunteer Army. They spoke about the fear of being too young; starting something at a young age and not having much experience. The main piece of advice they both gave me was to believe in myself and surround myself with positive people like my family and teachers who will encourage me. Sam Johnson mostly spoke about working in a team and how important it is if you're a leader. Georgia Latu talked more about sticking to your goals and doing the mahi to get the treats. 

Two of the main things I can take away from these amazing speakers is that it doesn’t matter what age you start and to believe in yourself. Overall this experience was so inspiring and it gave me the push I needed to see that I can bring change to my school and community. Finally, I’d like to thank Hornby High School and Mrs Allan-Fletcher for this amazing experience.