On Wednesday, May 17th, a group of year 12 students, Ms Tucker, Mr Napier, Kyle and myself travelled down to Wellington to attend the National Young Leaders Day (NYLD). 

The aim of the NYLD is to help develop students' leadership skills and encourage them to see their own potential. This year is the 15th year that the NYLD has run, providing students with inspirational stories and the motivation to become a better leader. The event we went to had many inspiring guest speakers, who told us their stories and how they became such great leaders themselves. 

The speakers included:

• James Beck, from ATTITUDE;
  
• Petra Bagust, TV presenter; and
  
• Billy Graham, who was a boxer and is now New Zealand's most loved motivator and fitness advisor.
  

Billy's main message was to “never stop asking for help”. Billy also said “don't let things happen; make them happen”.

To finish the day off, we had a performance from Dave Baxter, better known as Avalanche City.

Overall, I think all the students who attended this day took something out of it and are inspired to be better leaders.

If you are given the opportunity to attend the NYLD in the future, I would highly recommend that you take it.