On Wednesday 5th April, six student leaders had the privilege of attending the Pearce Young Leaders Forum. The guest speakers were the Honourable Julie Bishop, Minister for Foreign Affairs and the  Honourable Christian Porter, Minister for Social Services.

The session began with a group photo with Ms Bishop, Mr Porter and the other school delegates. To our amazement the image was captured via a photographic drone. We then proceeded to the library to begin the forum. Both Ms Bishop and Mr Porter gave a welcome address which focused on leadership and included advice for becoming a successful leader. Following the address, the floor was opened for questions from the students. The questions covered a range of topics from current issues facing Australia and overcoming challenges as leaders to more personal discussions about future decisions and career options. The insight, perspective and wealth of knowledge provided by Ms Bishop and Mr Porter was invaluable. The stories and experiences they'd lived as leaders were truly remarkable and I know we were all left awestruck as Ms Bishop told stories of Somalian pirates and her interactions with Vladimir Putin and Barrack Obama.

The Q&A was followed by a delicious morning tea, which allowed us the opportunity to mingle with leaders from different schools, ask further questions and take more photos. Overall, the forum was a rewarding and educational experience that I am sure greatly benefitted all those who attended.

Written by Astha Singha (Year 12)