THE young parliamentarians of Kendall Public School (KPS) travelled to Sydney at the end of Term 1, attending the 2025 Halogen Young Leaders Conference (HYLC) at the International Convention Centre.
Since its conception in 1997, the conference has welcomed over 437,000 attendees and 350 guest speakers from across Australia.
This year’s primary school conference included speakers such as Olympic swimmer Emma McKeon, Bondi Rescue star Anthony ‘Harries’ Carroll, screenwriter and playwright Thomas Duncan-Watt, and live-action Moana star Catherine Laga’aia, who each offered a unique perspective on leadership formed from their own remarkable journeys.
One of the Prime Ministers of KPS’ School Parliament, Ava, was left awe-struck by the inspiring speeches, particularly Emma McKeon’s message on the importance of self-belief and intrinsic motivation.
“We all had the chance to hear some amazing speakers at the HYLC,” said Ava.
“[Emma is] Australia’s most successful Olympian and the world’s most successful female swimmer.
“Her speech was amazing and I really appreciated the part where she said not to just rely on the motivation from others; instead your motivation has to come from you, what you believe about yourself.”
KPS Principal Duncan Adams said the HYLC was a fantastic experience for his students, and highlighted the support of Camden Haven High School to get the KPS parliamentarians to the conference.
“The Young Leaders Conference is an amazing opportunity for our leadership team,” said Principal Adams.
“This experience has the potential to have a profound effect upon our students both in the classroom and beyond.
“The support of Camden Haven High School, through the loan of their mini bus, made this excursion both easy and viable and we are extremely grateful for their assistance.”
By Kim AMBROSE
